Legends of the Demon Duelist DA Arc
by Wolf General
Summary: First of the LDD series, a standalone to the Demon Duelist Legacy Series in the Yugioh section. Ichigo Pilkington is just about to take his Duel Academy exam, and in doing so will fall into a whole mess of trouble.
1. Introducing Ichigo

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh. How many times this must be said before you all get it through your thick heads!? Hey, I rhymed….Oh, and I don't own Metal Gear Solid either.

This story is….hard to explain. It's based off my first Yugioh fanfiction, which is called Demon Duelist Legacy. These two can be read apart from each other, though it is not advised. So if you are new to the Demon Duelist Legacy storyline, I suggest you go and read that story first before moving onto this one. If you believe that you can handle it then by all means…let the games begin!

Background: This story begins about twenty years after the events involving Valeus and the Game of the Gods. I did not come up with the concept of the Duelist's Academy. This was made by the creator of the Duel Monsters GX storyline. Because it is part of the Yugioh "family" I will not be including it as part of my disclaimer.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 1: Introducing Ichigo

Our story begins with a car speeding down a highway at speeds that have to be breaking some law, somewhere in the world….

"Dad, are we…" An agitated voice yelled over the wind that was whipping into the inside of the car from the open windows.

"I swear Ichigo, if you ask me that one more time I will make you get out and walk!" Daniel Pilkington immediately winced at the volume and tone of his voice. Normally he wasn't so angry, but this was something that was important to him as well as his son. ("A chance to become an instructor at Kaiba's Duelist's Academy. And even better, that may mean a chance to challenge Kaiba again!") Amongst the things on Daniel's list of stuff he needed to get done before he could retire was laying the smackdown on Seto Kaiba for beating him in a duel once…

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Meanwhile in the backseat of the card, Ichigo Pilkington had a completely different agenda in mind. ("This is gonna be my big chance! Soon enough, I'll get to achieve my dream!") Looking out the window, the boy checked his reflection to make sure he looked fairly presentable for such an important event.

Standing at a modest 5'6", Ichigo never really thought of himself as anything particularly special. After all, he just had chestnut brown hair and hazel eyes, which was fairly average amongst a lot of the guys his age. The shirt he was wearing was one of his best, being a bright blue dress shirt that his mother had picked out for him just for this occasion. Along with its matching blue pants, Ichigo thought that he looked pretty sharp.

Ruffling up his short hair, Ichigo wondered if perhaps he should put on a hat or something. After all, not many people reacted well to seeing humans walking around with brown-furred and black-tipped wolf ears on top of their head. But then again, since these were his going to be his future (he hoped) friends and peers, they may as well get used to seeing him as what he was. "Hey dad, can I borrow your Jinzo for today?"

Daniel rolled his eyes and the steering wheel at the same time, changing lanes to get off the highway. They were just ten minutes away from the stadium where the duels were taking place. "Ichigo, are you telling me that after all of the work you have put into your deck that you still doubt its ability to win?"

"No sir," answered Ichigo sheepishly.

"Don't call me sir," Daniel said calmly. "It makes me feel old." He came to a stop at a stoplight and looked back to smile warmly to his son. "Besides, it's not like we've ever had that much of a father-son relationship."

Ichigo grinned. "That's because you're still a teenager at heart, just like mom."

Taking his attention back to the road, Daniel smiled slightly at the thought of his son getting into this academy. ("He's trying to be a top-tier duelist. Just like I'm still shooting to be the absolute best. I'll have to challenge Yugi to another duel one of these days, as soon as I find the time.")

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As soon as they arrived, the two duelists fully understood how late they were. There was no one in the parking lot of the stadium.

"You don't think…" Daniel started.

"That the written test…" Ichigo continued.

"Has already started!?" They both yelled at once, leaping out of the car and charging towards the entrance doors.

Right before they had their hands on the door handle, a small yet strong pair of arms snapped out from behind them and grabbed both of them by the tip of one ear, effectively stopping them in their tracks.

"Now hang on there!" yelled a young blond woman in a blue uniform. "Who are the two of you!?"

Ichigo knocked the woman's hand away and pointed at the door to the stadium. "We're here for the test!"

The woman stared at Daniel. "And you?"

"I'm here for an interview with the headmaster of the Academy," Daniel dead-panned.

"Oh really? Why should I believe you?" The woman didn't exactly seem like the friendly type. As an after-thought, she looked over at Ichigo. "The written exams are about to start, so you get going."

"Yes ma'am! Later dad!" The boy spun around and ran through the double doors.

Daniel sighed and glanced at his watch. "Lady…come on now. Why would I lie?"

"A lot of people want to see the headmaster at the moment. So let's see your appointment papers," She crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently.

Daniel put down the leather carrying case that he had brought with him and popped it open. Moving assorted papers aside, the half wolf-demon stared intently into the case. Finally, he looked up at her and asked, "I was supposed to get a paper?"

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Just a few minutes later Ichigo found himself staring at his test paper and scratching the side of his head with his pencil eraser.

_6) What is the fusion of Magnet Warrior #1 and Magnet Warrior #2?_

("…………") He just stared at the piece of paper like it was written in German. ("What's a Magnet Warrior? Is it like Alpha, Beta and Gamma?") Growling quietly at the annoyance of the question, he moved onto the next.

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The woman continued to stare while Daniel sifted through the contents of his case. "Sir, are you sure that you have an appointment with the headmaster?"

His head inside the case at the moment, Daniel wasn't even listening. ("Piece of paper…piece of paper…How can one piece of paper be so hard to find!?")

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_In one hundred words or less, please explain why one monster card (your choice) is the best in the game of Duel Monsters._

Ichigo snapped his fingers. ("I know exactly which monster to write about. Thanks dad…") He put his pencil down on the paper and started writing.

_Jinzo is one of the best monsters…_

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"Sir, I just got a call from the Headmaster saying that he forgot to mail you an appointment slip, so you can go in now."

Daniel slowly closed his case, stood up, gave the woman the evilest glare he could muster, and then stomped inside.

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Ichigo double-checked his answers and handed the piece of paper to the man who was walking up and down the rows of the theater classroom to make sure that no prospective students were cheating. ("That wasn't so hard.")

Then he noticed that over half of the classroom had already finished their tests and were gone. Sighing dejectedly, the half-demon stood up and went to the actual stadium. He immediately brightened up as he realized what his next test was. ("That's right…I get to duel now!!!") Ichigo was practically skipping down the halls. "I get to duel now!!! I get to duel…" He didn't get to finish his sentence as, eyes closed; he fell down a flight of stairs.

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Midas King always wore his gold vest and coat, giving him an almost kingly appearance. Luckily for people of the old world, kings were never as cruel as Midas was. Amongst the instructors, no other had a worse reputation for making sure they completely humiliated their opponents in their duels. Rubbing his blond beard, Midas glanced over at another of the instructors. "So who's the next sacrifice?"

The man grimaced at the sneer in Midas' voice. "Come now, these are prospective students. You really can't just destroy them as wholly as you have been so far."

"I do what I wish and when I wish," Midas replied, lifting his head to the head haughtily. "Who are you to think otherwise? We must make sure that every new student to the Duelist Academy is of the highest caliber and skill possible." As a little afterthought he mentally added, ("And if I get personal pleasure out of crushing the weak duelists, so what?")

"I can understand that you want to make sure all of the new students are good, but over the last few hours all of your opponents have not only lost horribly, but they all wound up leaving the stadium crying. And that was the older duelists. The younger ones…." The instructor frowned as he remembered some of the expressions on the faces of kids who couldn't be much older than ten or so. "Was it really necessary to…?"

Midas held up his hand to silence his compatriot. "Enough of your whining, friend. You, as well as I, know that we cannot allow just anyone into this school. So, who's next?" His expression was like that of a wolf waiting for its next meal to come across its sight.

Picking up his clipboard, the other instructor scratched his chin in surprise. "Ichigo Pilkington? Pilkington….where have I heard that name before?"

"He's the guy who dueled Yugi Moto over twenty years ago during that Shadow Tournament. Plus, he's the guy who is applying today for a job as an instructor at the academy." All of the instructors thought back on the footage they had seen of the duel between Daniel and the King of Games.

Midas smiled coldly and stood up. "I'll do this one." He walked towards the arena.

"Hey King! You need to get one of the examination decks!" One of the instructors held up the box of pre-made decks that were supposed to be used against the prospective students during the duel examinations.

Midas glared angrily at the box. "No! I will do this with my deck."

"Are you crazy!? How is that a fair test of the boy's abilities!?"

Midas looked away from them so that they couldn't see the cruel look on his face. "If he is as good as his father is supposed to be, he'll be able to handle it." With no more to say, he went to go get ready for his examination. ("Or as I like to call them, easy pickings…")

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"Will Ichigo Pilkington please come to arena number four? You're up." A voice called over the intercom.

Smiling, Ichigo stood up and pulled his duel disk out of his backpack. A slight smile came across his face at the sight of his device. "Alright, now it's my time to shine!" Sliding his deck into its appropriate slot, the boy turned and walked down the steps to the dueling arena.

As soon as he stepped in he immediately felt butterflies in his stomach. Glancing up at the stands overlooking his arena, Ichigo understood why. There were a lot of people watching him, like a good few dozen or so. The half-demon felt a blush rise into his cheeks, and his ears drooped slightly. "Uhh…..hi there!" He yelled up into the crowd.

"Your opponent is right here, boy," said Midas' voice from across the arena. The instructor was wearing his favorite dueling apparatus, which was known simply as a duel coat. The set-up allowed the wearer to duel with a minimum of effort on their part, and in situations like examination days, where you were dueling for the good amount of a day, it was necessary.

Attached to Midas' chest was a disk-like device with his deck and graveyard slot installed into it. There was also a motion sensor that would activate when he waved his hand over it, so that he could instantly draw his next card. Attached to the disk was strange device that resembled a huge dueling array, with the magic and trap zones set up right behind the monster zones on a five by two grid. Each of the squares had a special suction system that would hold any card placed on it, to allow the user to move around freely without ruining his playing field. Midas had made one slight addition to his duel coat, and that was to plate it gold. "Now are we going to duel?"

Ichigo blushed even brighter as he realized what he was doing. Spinning around, he gave a respectful bow. "Ichigo Pilkington, pleasure to meet you."

Coughing sharply, Midas frowned at how distastefully nice this boy seemed. ("Damn, I'm not going to be able to make him mad as easily as I did the others.") "Yes, and I am Midas King, a professor of the Duelist Academy. Now, do you believe you have what it takes to become one of the dueling elite of the world?" He made the question seem as dramatic as possible.

"Of course sir. I believe that if you have faith in your skills, you can do anything necessary to become the very best." Ichigo smiled brightly and clicked his duel disk into place. "So, do you wanna go first?"

Midas grimaced at how bright and cheery this boy was. ("I think I am going to vomit if he keeps this act up.") Tapping the disk on his chest, Midas listened to his duel coat warm up. "Very well, I will go first." Waving his hand across the motion sensor, the instructor caught the five cards that were spat off the top of his deck. "Now, let's duel!"

Ichigo- 4000

Midas- 4000

Waving his free hand over the motion sensor, Midas caught the sixth card and added it to his hand. "Now I will begin with my personal favorite magic card, Pot of Greed!" Sliding the card into the graveyard slot of his coat, Midas moved his hand over the motion sensor and caught the top two cards on his deck between his fingers, adding them to his hand. Looking his hand over, the instructor snickered and placed two cards on the dueling board of his coat. "I set two cards face-down on my field." Two holographic versions of the cards appeared on the field in front of him.

Ichigo watched with real interest in his eyes. He was curious as to what strategy someone from the great Duelist's Academy had.

Midas tried his best to ignore how horribly cheery this boy was. "Then I play a continuous magic card called Limitless Hand." A holographic representation of the card appeared on his field. "As long as this is in play, I may keep as many cards as I wish in my hand without needing to discard down to six at the end of the turn."

"Thanks sir, that helps me too." Ichigo grinned, the expression without the slightest bit of mockery to it.

("I wonder if I am allowed to kill prospective students who sicken me.") Taking another card from his hand, Midas placed it into his monster zone. "Now I set one card face-down on my field in defense mode." A horizontal brown-backed card appeared in front of his other two face-down ones. "End turn."

Ichigo's smile turned instantly fierce, like he had been waiting for his chance to make a move. All of his original fear and embarrassment was now gone. "My turn. Draw!" He added the card to his hand and grinned. ("How perfect! I can summon one of my best monsters to the field during my first turn!") Taking a card from his hand, the boy slid it into his duel disk. "I play the magic card Polymerization, which will allow me to fuse any two monsters from my hand or field together to create a new creature!"

Midas' original uneasiness disappeared as he saw his opportunity to do some real psychological damage. "Open face-down cards, Disturbance Strategy and Appropriate!" The first of the two face-up cards shot a spray of holographic flame across the field.

Ichigo yelped in surprise and ducked, barely dodging the fake fire. "Hey, be careful!"

"Oh, I'm sorry my dear boy. Allow me to make it up to you with the effect of Disturbance Strategy. You see, thanks to it you can shuffle your hand into your deck and draw a brand new one equal to the number of cards you shuffled. Isn't that nice?" The instructor's voice dripped with sweetness so fake it might as well have been called bitter-sweet.

Ichigo paled at what that meant. "But…my fusion…"

Midas shrugged innocently. "Let's hope you draw the two monsters you wanted then." The second of the two face-up cards shimmered when Ichigo shuffled his hand into his deck and drew a new one. "Oh, just to let you know, Appropriate lets me draw two cards every time that you draw cards outside of your draw phase." Midas waved his hand over the motion sensor on his coat and it spat another two cards, which he caught and added to his hand. "Thank you for the present, my dear boy."

"You're quite welcome…" Ichigo said curtly. ("This guy is a jerk!") Fanning out his new hand, the boy growled quietly at the sight of one of the necessary monster cards for his fusion, but not the other. "I can't complete my fusion." The holographic Polymerization card that was face-up on his field faded away.

Midas gasped in surprise. "Oh, did my little play interfere with your plans?"

Ichigo took one of the cards in the middle of his hand and placed it onto his disk. "Nope, now I'll just have to defeat you using a slightly different method of attack. First though, I summon Cyber Shadow-Assassin (1000/1000) in attack mode!" There was a flash of prismatic light across his field as a lean humanoid creature in skin-tight black clothing and wearing a futuristic-looking helmet appeared on the field.

"Attack his face-down monster now!" With a wave of its hand, the Cyber Assassin now had a knife made of prismatic energy in its grasp. It charged across the field and slammed the weapon down on top of Midas' face-down monster card.

The face-down card faded and was replaced by an ugly green goblin with a pair of strange jars under its arms. Grumbling angrily, the goblin threw out its arm and smacked the knife of energy away.

Midas shook his head sadly at his opponent. "My dear boy, you've just run head-first into my Goblin of Greed. (1000/1800) Because of the fact that my monster was in defense mode, you get to keep your little Assassin, but you do lose 800 life points." His sneer said that he was truly enjoying watching Ichigo fail.

Ichigo- 3200

Midas- 4000

Ichigo looked down at his hand of cards. ("Alright, well that was a waste of time.") Then his eyes caught a glimpse of one of the cards tucked in between two others in his hand. ("Heh, now it's my turn to play a little trick.") Taking the card, the boy slid it into his duel disk. "I set one card face-down on my field and end my turn." A holographic representation of the brown-backed card appeared on his field. "End turn."

Midas waved his hand over the motion sensor on his coat, catching his next card and adding it to his hand. "You're not made of the right stuff for this school, boy. Perhaps you should go back to your home and come back next time with a new strategy."

Ichigo glared back at the gold-covered instructor. "How can you be so quick to judge my strategy? You've only seen one of my monsters so far."

"I have a knack for these things. It's easy to tell a good strategist from a bad one." Midas slid a card from his hand into his duel disk, a brown-backed card appeared face-down on the field next to his face-up Limitless Hand card. "I set one card face-down on the field."

Then he grabbed a card and placed it on his dueling field next to his Goblin of Greed. "Then I summon Muka Muka (600/300) to the field." A little crab-like creature with a stone upper body appeared on the field. "Thanks to its special ability, it gains 300 extra attack and defense points for every card in my hand." The crab monster sprayed steam out of the cracks in its stone body as its attack strength shot up. (1800/1500)

("With the way his deck has been working so far, that means that this guy is going to get his monster a lot stronger really fast.") Ichigo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Now was not the time to get afraid.

Snickering, Midas pointed at the Cyber Assassin. "Muka Muka, chop that thing down. Claw Pincer attack!" The little crab screeched and charged across the field towards the black-suited assassin monster.

Ichigo tapped a button on his duel disk and his face-down card flipped up. "Open face-down trap card, Cyber Virus! This will infuse my Assassin with his ultimate weapon!" The black-suited monster crossed its arms across its chest and chuckled as the claws of the Muka Muka slashed through it. Instead of exploding though, the Assassin turned into a prismatic mist that fell over the crab creature, which screeched and started to run around wildly.

Midas blinked in confusion as his Muka Muka started to run crazily around the field. "What did you do to my creature!?"

Ichigo smiled and pointed to his trap card, which was face-up on the field. "Cyber Virus negates all damage I would take from losing my Cyber Assassin, and it also infects your monster with a powerful bug that will place it under my control until the end of my next turn. At the end of said turn, your creature will be destroyed if it is still on the field." The boy knew he had the upper hand now.

Midas thought otherwise though. "So, you think I'm in trouble?" Taking a card from his hand, he placed it face-up on his dueling field. "Then I suggest you take a lesson from a real duelist. From my hand I'll activate the quick-play magic card Mystical Space Typhoon, which will destroy your Cyber Virus and free my creature from its control!" A sharp wind slashed through the prismatic mist that surrounded the Muka Muka, instantly removing the controlling virus from its system. The crab creature stumbled shakily over to Midas' field, its attack points dropped because now he only had three cards in his hand. (1500/1200) "And I'll end my turn, my dear boy."

Ichigo grimaced. ("This guy is a lot better than I am giving him credit for. He's countering all of my moves with relative ease.") "It's my turn." He snapped the top card off of his deck. "Draw!" He already knew that there were only a couple of moves he could do at the moment, and one of them wouldn't get him anywhere.

Taking a card from his hand, the half-demon slapped it onto his disk in a horizontal position. "I summon Cyber Shadow-Guardian (0/2200) in defense mode!" A metal robot appeared on his field in a crouching position. It shuddered and then was surrounded by a bubble of prismatic light. "I end my turn."

Midas waved his hand across the motion sensor on his duel coat, catching the card it spat to him. "Alright, from the looks of it you are in need of help with the cards in your hand, eh?" He smiled slyly. "Allow me to offer you some assistance." Grasping a card from his hand, he played it onto his dueling field. "I play Card Destruction, which forces us both to discard our hands and draw cards equal to the number that we would have discarded."

"Would have?" echoed Ichigo.

Midas rolled his eyes and pointed to his Goblin of Greed. "You must not have done very well on the written test, because a question about the effect of Goblin of Greed was on it."

Thinking back, Ichigo snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah! When Goblin of Greed is on the field, neither player discards cards from their hand from card effects." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm sorry about that, but the Goblin of Greed really isn't that good of a monster."

"WHAT!?" roared the instructor, who was now blushing furiously at the howls of laughter that came from his peers who were watching the duel. "The Goblin of Greed is an excellent monster! After all, how many creatures do you know of that let us draw cards equal to the number of cards in our hand?"

Waving his hand over the motion sensor thrice, Midas caught the next three cards from the top of his deck. "Since we don't have to discard our hands, Card Destruction just lets both of us get three new cards. So bite your tongue, boy!"

"Of course, my apologies professor." Ichigo smiled, though this was rather fake-seeming compared to his other smiles. Drawing three cards from his deck, the half-demon's eyes lit up at the sight of the cards he had drawn.

Midas pointed to his Appropriate. "And thanks to the effect of Appropriate, I draw two cards because you drew two cards." Moving his hand over the motion sensor on his coat, the instructor caught two more cards from the top of his deck. This brought his hand up to eight cards, and his Muka Muka's attack strength up to 3000 points. "And now I'll tear down your little shield. Muka Muka, crush it!" The crab monster charged across the field and slashed right through the robot, blowing it apart.

Ichigo bowed his head slightly in quiet apology to his monster. ("Forgive me for throwing you out there to die.")

The Muka Muka returned to Midas' field. With a cold grin on his face, the instructor slid the creature card from his field into his graveyard slot. "Now I sacrifice Muka Muka to summon an even more powerful version of itself."

There was an explosion of steam that sprayed across his field as a creature that looked like a king-size version of the Muka Muka appeared on the field. "This is my mighty Enraged Muka Muka!" (1200/600) "And unlike its younger brother, this monster gains 400 extra attack and defense points for every card in my hand!" A huge amount of steam sprayed out of the cracks of the monster's armored hide as its attack points sky-rocketed. (4000/3400)

"4000 attack points!?" Ichigo looked horrified at the sight of something that could chop through his life points in one strike. "That's insane!"

"Well if you are as good as you're supposed to be then you will find a way to defeat my creature, eh boy?" Midas sneered at how impossible this situation seemed for his opponent. ("You'll never be getting into this school. Not if I have anything to say about it.") "End turn for now."

Ichigo clenched his fist quietly as he fully understood just what Midas wanted. Then his anger faded and was replaced by laughter. "So, you're nothing but a bully who picks on the weak? This can't be an examination deck that I am facing, can it?"

Midas snarled, "How dare you!!! I am a duelist elite, and I do not have to listen to you call me names!"

"How many names did you call your previous opponents?" Ichigo replied evenly. "You're intimidation tactics aren't going to work on me." The half-demon lifted up his deck. "And whether that is your real deck or not, I'm going to defeat it. Just you watch. My turn. Draw!" He snapped the top card off of his deck and added it to his hand.

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From up in the stands, a blond-haired young Japanese man wearing a blue uniform watched the duel progressing below with interest. "So Professor King is using his greed deck against a prospective student?" He smiled coldly. "That boy doesn't stand a ghost of a chance."

"Yes, of course he doesn't sir," one of the other blue uniformed students off to his side said quickly. "Of course none of them can defeat you in a duel, Hitokage-san."

Hitokage Seijitsu frowned over at his 'friend'. "Shut up and let me watch this in piece. A good duel is best watched in silence."

The other boy wilted quickly and watched the duel.

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Ichigo looked his seven cards over carefully. ("Now let's see, what can I work…AHA!!") Grabbing a card from his hand, the boy slid it into his duel disk. "I set one card face-down on my field." A holographic representation of the card appeared in front of him.

Midas watched the face-down card warily. ("Why would he play that before playing a monster?")

Taking another card from his hand, Ichigo was about throw it onto his disk…

Midas motioned to his face-down card. "Reverse card open! Reveal Compulsory Draw! This trap card forces both players to draw one card from their deck." Waving his hand over the motion sensor on his coat, Midas caught the card from the top of his deck.

Ichigo placed the card that he was about to play into his hand and drew the top card of his deck.

Midas waved his hand over at his face-up Appropriate trap card. "And as before, I get to draw two cards whenever you draw cards outside of your draw phase." Waving his hand over the motion sensor, the instructor caught two more cards and added them to his hand. Fanning out his cards, he revealed a hand of ten cards.

"And that means that my Enraged Muka Muka gains a total of 4000 attack points from its special ability!" The giant crab creature was now covered by so much steam that it looked almost like an illusion. (5200/4600)

Ichigo paled slightly at the sight of something with an amount of attack he never would have thought possible through just one effect. "That's incredible…"

"Isn't it though?" Midas sneered. "And all of those attack points are going to tear right into you next turn."

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From up in the far upper balcony of the arena, Daniel gritted his teeth and glared over at the Headmaster. "Is this how you run your academy!? You're putting my son against someone who is running a full tournament level deck."

Calmly the Headmaster, an older bald man with kindly brown eyes, looked over at Daniel and sighed. "Midas King is one of our strictest instructors. If it pleases you, then I will talk to him about this after the duel has ended."

Daniel shook his head. "Oh no, after this is said and done I'll have a little talk with him." Cracking his knuckles, the half wolf-demon didn't look like he really wanted to talk very much. It looked more like he wanted to beat Midas' face in.

The Headmaster placed his hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Calm yourself, or is this what you will be teaching students at my Duelist's Academy? That violence is the answer?"

Daniel forced himself to calm down. Stiffly turned to face the Headmaster, he bowed apologetically. "Excuse my anger, please. I am just distraught over the fact that my son is about to lose."

"Are you so certain?" The Headmaster motioned down to the arena, and to Ichigo. "He's your son, so I'd think you would have noticed the look in his eyes."

"Look?" Daniel brought his gaze down to his son, and then he felt it. ("He doesn't intend to lose.")

Smiling slightly, Daniel felt his original anger fade. "Alright, let's see if he can pull this off."

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Ichigo grabbed a card from his hand and slapped it onto his duel disk. "I summon Cyber Shadow-Soldier (1600/1600) in defense mode!" A muscular humanoid in a futuristic suit of armor and wearing a helmet that obscured its features appeared on the field in a crouching position. "End turn!"

Waving his hand over the motion sensor on his coat, Midas caught another card from his deck and added it to his hand. "And now this duel ends here."

Ichigo didn't like the sound of sincerity in the instructor's voice. "What do you mean?"

Smirking coldly, Midas took a card from the stack he was holding and placed it down onto the dueling field behind his Goblin of Greed. "It's because of my equipment magic card, Graceful Wings!" A pair of angelic wings exploded out of the back of the ugly goblin. "This will raise the attack and defense scores of the equipped monster by 300 times the number of cards in my hand!" (4000/4800)

("Oh great, another monster with over 3000 attack points,") Ichigo thought sarcastically. ("At this rate I am going to get overwhelmed.")

Turning the Goblin of Greed card on his dueling field, Midas motioned to the now standing monster. "Goblin of Greed, attack his Cyber Shadow and open up his defenses for my Enraged Muka Muka!" The pudgy green monster stomped across the field, lifting both of its two containers to crush the cybernetic warrior.

Ichigo had other plans though. "Reverse card open, Shadow Optics activate! This will allow me to sacrifice a Cyber Shadow creature on my field to create an exact copy of a creature that you currently control!"

The Cyber Shadow-Soldier exploded into digital bits and was replaced by the hulking form of the Enraged Muka Muka. "And since Shadow Optics copies the exact stats of your creature, its attack bonus still applies!" (5200/4600)

Midas shrugged nonchalantly at the sight. "Just like the card says, it is an illusion. Your monster fake will fade away at the end of the turn."

Ichigo grinned and pointed at the Goblin of Greed. "That's true, but your Goblin of Greed is already attacking, so you're about to lose your monster."

Midas wouldn't let himself be baited though. "I'm going to lose 1200 life points. That's nothing compared to what my Enraged Muka Muka will be doing to you next turn."

Fanning out his hand, the half-demon shook his head and pointed at the Enraged Muka Muka shadow on his field. "The copy keeps everything about the monster it copies. So in the case of a creature like Enraged Muka Muka, its effect stacks with the number of cards in my hand and yours." (7600/7000)

Everyone in the stands watched in amazement as the Enraged Muka Muka shadow on the field almost casually chopped right through Midas' Goblin of Greed, as well as almost all of the instructor's life points.

Ichigo- 3200

Midas- 400

Midas King was nearly speechless at the mere thought of suddenly being but a small breath's worth of life points away from defeat. "You little….arrogant…" He calmed instantly. "Very impressive, boy. However, I think it's time for me to pull out all of the stops against you."

"What?" Ichigo found it hard to believe that this guy was holding back at all, until he realized something that seemed to obvious to miss. "Oh no…"

Fanning out the ten cards in his hand, Midas snickered. "Do you think all of these cards in my hand are just for show? Each and every one of them serves a unique purpose for crushing insolent brats like you." Taking two cards from his hand, the gold-clothed instructor placed them on his dueling field. In between his Limitless Hand card and his Appropriate card, two brown-backed face-down cards appeared on the field. "I set two cards face-down, and then I reveal one of them."

The card flipped up and a golden spot-light fell over the Enraged Muka Muka. "This is my continuous magic card Star of the Show. As long as it is in play, all creatures on your field cannot be played in defense mode. Also, each of my turns all of your monsters must attack the creature that has been selected by my card." The Enraged Muka Muka clacked its claws together in anticipation. "End turn."

Before Ichigo could even think to make a move, Midas flipped up his other face-down card. "And my other face-down card is the continuous trap card called Royal Decree, which negates all trap cards on the field except for itself!" A crackling field of energy appeared around the instructor's Appropriate trap card. "This means that if you try to set trap cards instead of summoning a monster to defend yourself, you will be wasting your time."

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From up in the stand, Hitokage sighed and threw up his feet. ("For a second there I actually thought that weakling stood a chance against Midas. I guess I was wrong.") Coldly, he got comfortable so that he could fully enjoy watching the boy's confidence get completely destroyed.

Meanwhile, in another part of the upper classmen stands, a pair of golden eyes watched the field appraisingly. ("So, can you pull this off?")

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Laughing, Midas raised his hand to point at Ichigo. "Give it up; this duel is at its end. You've already lost, and you know it. So return to the gutters from which you emerged, Dog-boy!"

Gasps came from most of the students and faculty. Never before had Midas King been so openly hostile with anyone before…normally he would hide behind veiled words and masterful twists of the tongue. For him to be so angry towards a complete stranger seemed…uncharacteristic.

Ichigo had his eyes closed and his face lowered towards the ground. His shoulders were trembling gently, like he was upset about something.

"Aw, what's the matter little dog, did I make you sad? Feel like running home to mommy?" Midas seemed like he was diving in for the psychological kill.

"I….I…am not…." Ichigo's eyes snapped open, the hazel orbs burning with a mix of anger and intensity. "….a DOG!" His snapped up his duel disk. "It's my turn, draw!" Drawing the top card of his deck, he added it to his hand and looked over all of the cards at his disposal. "And I'm about to show you that trying to win your duels by being an evil jerk won't work against someone who believes in their skill!"

Grabbing a card from his hand, Ichigo slid it into his duel disk slot. "Activate the magic card Magic Shard Excavation! By discarding two cards from my hand I can take back one magic card from my graveyard!" Grabbing two cards, the half-demon slid them into his graveyard slot. The disk beeped and spat out the card he wanted. "So I'm taking back my Polymerization!"

Midas snickered. "Unless your fusion has more attack points that my Enraged Muka Muka, why should I care!?"

"Because not everything has to do with strength…sometimes a sharp wit can defeat the mightiest foe." Ichigo slid a card from his hand into his duel disk. "Activate the magic card Monster Reborn, which will revive Cyber Shadow-Assassin!" There was a flash of prismatic light as the black-clothed warrior reappeared on the field.

Grabbing another card, Ichigo slapped it onto his duel disk. "That's not all, because I am summoning Cyber Shadow-Trainer (300/1200) to the field in attack mode!" A bearded man in a black jumpsuit appeared on the field. "His special ability raises the attack power of all Cyber Shadow monsters on my field by 500 points!"

Midas rolled his eyes. "This is so ridiculous. Why are you wasting my time with these weaklings?"

"Patience, my dear professor." Ichigo slid another card from his hand into his duel disk. "And now I summon my favorite card! Activate Polymerization, fusing Trainer and Assassin together!" The two monsters were pulled together into a swirl of shadowy energy.

When the swirl faded away a single humanoid figure stood on the field. It was distinctly male, with a tight black bodysuit pulled over its muscular frame and a black bandana wrapped around its forehead that fluttered on an invisible wind. Arms crossed across its chest, the monster stood confidently against the huge monster that was across the field from it.

Ichigo was smiling from ear to ear. "This is the true pinnacle of my deck, the power of the ultimate Cyber Shadow agent! Special Operative-Snake!" (2000/1800) The espionage monster opened it eyes and looked back at Ichigo, who nodded to it. "Snake, attack Enraged Muka Muka now!" Bending at the knees, Snake charged across the field towards the crab monster fearlessly.

Midas threw back his head, roaring laughter echoing across the arena. "So you're sending your favorite creature to an early demise!? That's fine with me! Enraged Muka Muka, counter-attack!" The crab monster lifted its pincers to chop through the charging Special Operative….

A huge explosion rang out from the side of the ring, causing everyone to spin their eyes to the corner of the arena where the explosion had gone off. All that was there was a cloud of smoke…

"Hey, Professor Midas!" yelled Ichigo.

The golden-clothed professor spun back to his field and gaped at the sight in front of him. His Enraged Muka Muka was looking at the spot where the explosion had gone off, and that meant its attention was completely taken away from the monster that was charging towards it. "Turn around, you stupid creature!"

"It's too late, because the special ability of my Special Operative-Snake has just been activated." Taking a card from his hand, Ichigo slid it into his graveyard slot. "By discarding one card from my hand and sacrificing my battle phase, I may use Snake's Sneak Attack effect. This will allow him to destroy one monster on the field with an original attack lower than his, and deal damage to its owner equal to that original attack total."

A silence hung over the arena as the black-suited mercenary slid to a stop right underneath the huge body of the Enraged Muka Muka and threw something onto its underbelly. Spinning around, the monster returned to Ichigo's field.

Everyone in the stands stared down at the field, and at the Enraged Muka Muka, which continued to stare at the cloud of smoke in the corner of the field.

Midas paled considerably as he realized what this meant. "This is impossible…you're…."

Ichigo nodded to Snake. The mercenary pulled a black device out from a pouch at its waist and held it out for everyone to see. It was a detonator, and his thumb was on the little red button that would trigger the explosive he had attached to the underbelly of the Enraged Muka Muka. "Sorry, but you just lost!" Snake pressed the detonator button. In one screeching flash of light and smoke, Midas' monster was gone along with the rest of his life points.

Ichigo- 3200

Midas- 0

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Up in the stands, Hitokage stared at what should have been impossible. ("He just defeated Professor King…that's….impressive.") A slight smile found its way onto his lips. He was going to have to look further into this Ichigo Pilkington, and find out just what made this boy so powerful.

From another part of the stands, the golden eyes looked approvingly at Ichigo. ("Excellent…he's much better than I thought.")

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"That's my boy…" Daniel felt his chest swell with pride.

The headmaster glanced over at Daniel. "Do you still want me to speak to Professor King?"

The half wolf-demon shook his head. "Nope, that won't be necessary." He grinned. "I suppose my son made it into your school, eh?"

Eyes sparkling, the headmaster extended his hand to Daniel. "That he did. And so did you. Welcome to the Duelist's Academy, Professor Pilkington."

Daniel was all too happy to accept the handshake, though his eyes still were looking down at the now-dancing form of his son. ("Ichigo….that's my boy.")

_To be continued...._

Author's Notes: There we go, first chapter off. This is much longer than I normally write them, but I thought it best to make sure this beginning was good. I hope it was good enough. Read and review.

Also, I'm looking for characters/decksfor the students/faculty of the Duelist's Academy. All I ask is that you give at least a basic physical description and a personality for the character. As for decks, all I need is a general idea of what the deck theme is. (It can be completely made up, like Ichigo's Espionage Deck, or it can be a real deck theme if you wish.)

Oh, you may want to learn about the Duelist's Academy from Duel Monsters GX too. Just use Google and type in Duel Monsters GX. It should give you a website that tells you about the show and the Academy.

Other than that, not much else to say. Let me know what you think of the new story idea in your review. Later.


	2. The Challenge of Dragons

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 2: The challenge of Dragons

Ever since his win against Midas King at the Duelist Academy examination, Ichigo had been unable to stop smiling. And today was no exception either. It had been one week since his win, and he was currently lugging his baggage down the stairs of his home to get them into his dad's car. ("This is great. I'm going to get into one of the best schools in the world...") He dropped the pile of bags he had been carrying into the trunk of the car and did what he now called the 'I'm the best' dance.

"You should really not let your victory get to your head, Ichigo." Daniel threw his bags into the trunk and slammed it shut. "Seriously, you've been dancing around like that for the past week and it's starting to scare me. Do I have to challenge you to a duel right here and now?"

Flicking one of his ears, Ichigo flashed the victory sign to his father. "Oh come on Dad, I beat someone that I shouldn't have been able to." With a sly little smile he added, "In fact, I bet I could beat you right now."

Daniel grinned happily. "Now that sounds like a challenge…" He was stopped in mid-sentence as he noticed that one of the greatest women in the world was approaching him.

Ichigo rolled his eyes and shoved his hands into his pockets. ("I guess that's the end of my challenge.")

Jennie, Ichigo's mother and Daniel's wife, put her hands on her hips and smiled. "Did I interrupt something?"

"No, not at all dear." Daniel was grinning like an idiot. "Ichigo and I were about to get going."

Sighing, Ichigo walked up to his mother and put on his best smile. "Yeah, we're about to head to airport now."

"That's good." Jennie gave Ichigo a little wink. She knew exactly what had been about to happen, and had decided to intervene so that the two wouldn't miss their plane. "Now then most mothers would get all worried for you, but you're a big boy, so I trust you to keep yourself safe." She gave her son a little kiss on the cheek and gave her husband a kiss as well. Turning around, she threw both of them a wink this time. "I'll be coming to see both of you in about a week, so I'd better see some impressive looking boys when I arrive."

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "I assume you mean us….right?"

Rolling her eyes, the half fox-demon threw Daniel another wink. "I just meant that I hope the two of you are all cleaned up when I arrive." With that said, she was gone.

Ichigo sighed at his father, who was still grinning stupidly. "I don't think I've ever met a guy more susceptible to a woman's charms than you, dad." Opening the car door, the half-demon threw himself into the seat. "So, we gonna get going?"

Shaking his head a couple of times to clear his thoughts, Daniel climbed into the driver's seat. "Yeah, sorry about that."

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Upon arrival the two immediately found themselves ushered on board their separate planes.

Ichigo looked around in amazement at just how big the inside of this plane was. ("There's almost two rows to it.") Hands still in his pockets, the half-demon walked down the aisle for new students with a smile on his face. ("I've gotta make a good first impression.")

Hopping into an empty chair, Ichigo sighed at how comfy it was. ("A guy could get used to this.") With that last thought, he started to slowly drift into sleep.

"Are those things real?" Someone said from nearby him.

("Eh?") Ichigo started to open his eyes slowly, and then he snapped them open when somebody tugged on his ear. "Ow! What was that for!?" He spun around to find himself face to face with a cute girl with brown hair, who had been sitting in the seat behind his. "Do you always just grab guys by the ears to get their attention?"

The girl looked over at her friend, a girl with blond hair. "Sheesh, he's a grouch."

Ichigo's ears flicked in irritation at suddenly being ignored. "Excuse me, but how about you explain your actions."

"You think she'd care? She's a bit of a grouch herself sometimes," said the blond-haired girl.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Excuse me…."

"That's true huh…do you think we should try?" The brown-haired girl replied to her friend.

"Excuse me…."

"Sure, let's give it a shot." They both nodded to each other and stood up as one.

Ichigo was done trying to be polite. "Excus…." He suddenly was being pulled by his arm down the aisle. "GAH!" A few seconds later he came to a stop.

"Hey Eri-san, look what we found for you," said the brown-haired girl.

("What we found for you!?!? What am I, a pet up for adoption!?") Growling, Ichigo crossed his arms across his chest and narrowed his eyes. "I am not an item, I'm a person."

"In my eyes, you're nothing." The two girls stepped to the side to reveal Eri. She was a tall girl wearing a blue uniform. With her raven-black hair and petite frame, most guys would have fallen for her instantly.

Ichigo just stared at a couple features of hers that not many people normally find as extraordinary as he did.

Eri had a pair of golden slotted eyes, and on top of her head were a pair of thin black wolf ears.

The half-demon blinked in surprise at her. "You're…a demon?"

Eri gave a glare that could freeze death in its tracks. "No, I just like dress up like this for some strange reason."

He continued to stare…

"Of course I'm a demon!" She nearly yelled. "What's your point?" Eri gave each of the girls a glare as well. The question was directed to all of them.

"Well, we thought that…" The blond-haired girl started.

"That maybe, since you really didn't seem to like any of the guys at school…" The brown-haired girl continued.

Eri's glare got colder and colder with each word that came out of their mouths. "So you thought that maybe by bringing me a mutt off the street that I would instantly fall for him?"

Ichigo growled indignantly at being called a mutt. "Hey now, what did…"

Eri turned her glare on him and he wisely went silent. "Return to your seat. If I see you in my immediate sight again, your death will slow and painful." Flexing her long claws, the demon girl made it quite clear that she meant it.

Ichigo considered arguing that it wasn't his fault that he was here, but then he decided against it. Throwing up his hands, the half-demon walked back to his seat…

Or he had planned to, until he caught sight of a sign that said, "Dueling Arena."

Ten seconds later he had his duel disk and was making a bee-line for the direction of the dueling arena.

Considering he was running at speeds not normally advised for people on a plane, Ichigo amazingly didn't crash into anyone on his way into a special part of the plane where small holographic dueling tables had been set up. Along the wall of the room was a bunch of cubby-holes for duelists to place their duel disks, since they were not needed here.

Grinning at the thought of getting to duel, Ichigo took his deck out of his disk and slid the device into a cubby-hole. After carefully shoving his deck into his pocket, the half-demon grinned at the sight of four coffee-sized dueling tables. Each of them had people sitting down in the seats, doll-sized holographic Duel Monsters on their tables.

Looking at each of the duels in turn, Ichigo finally came to the last duel table.

"Spear Dragon, direct attack!" A tiny representation of a blue-bodied dragon with a spear-shaped nose opened its mouth and unleashed a tornado that blew across the field, slamming into the other player. "And that's game."

The speaker was a tall boy who looked to be about Ichigo's age. He had spiky black hair and a pair of very dark blue eyes. Giving an incredibly cold smile, the youth crossed his arms across his chest and held out his hand across the table. "Alright, as per the rules of the duel you have to give me your rarest card."

The other boy, who had brown hair and a pair of large brown eyes, tearfully handed over his rarest card. "My Dark Magician…." Sniffling a few times, he tried to will away the tears that were forming at the thought of losing a card that meant so much to him.

The other boy crossed his legs and glanced disdainfully at his new card. "This thing is worthless to me." He looked like he was about to throw it back, and then he snapped his fingers exaggeratedly. "Oh wait, I know what I can do with this card!"

Opening his mouth, he proceeded to use the edge of the card to pick a small piece of chicken out of his teeth. The card's original owner widened his eyes at the sight of his favorite card being used in such a disrespectful manner.

Eyes narrowed, Ichigo slammed his fist down on the side of the table to get the attention of the blue-eyed boy.

Glancing over at the half-demon, the boy smiled calmly and with of his wrist the Dark Magician was gone. "Would you like a piece of this? You see angry over the fact that I would use someone's favorite card like this. Well it was his fault for betting it in the first place."

Ichigo growled, showing the barest hint of fangs from underneath his lip. "That doesn't mean you have to be such a jerk about it!"

Tugging at his clothing, which was a slightly more flowing version of a blue uniform, the boy sneered. "Watch it, or I'll steam roll over you like I did loser-boy over there. I'm a top-class duelist, Adriel Zaytel. What about you?"

Ichigo opened his mouth to announce himself, but someone beat him to the punch. "He's that guy who beat Professor King."

Adriel narrowed his eyes in a fashion that seemed like a predator sizing up potential prey. "So you're the one hit wonder, eh? I'd love to test my skills against one of your 'caliber'."

Ichigo, eyes still narrowed, nodded and sat down across from Adriel. Pulling his deck out of his pocket, the half-demon placed it in the deck zone of the holographic dueling field reader in front of him. "Before we begin, you have to make a promise. If you win, you can have any card you want out of my deck. However, if I win then you give that kid back his Dark Magician."

Shuffling his deck and placing it on the reader, Adriel nodded calmly. "Sure, why not. Ready?"

Ichigo smiled coldly. "Sure, let's duel."

Adriel held out his hand. "How about a friendly handshake before we duel?"

Wary of any possible tricks on his opponent's card, Ichigo reached out with his hand and grasped Adriel's firmly. They shook a couple of times and then their respective hands returned to their fields.

Ichigo- 4000

Adriel- 4000

Drawing six cards off the top of his deck, Adriel's expression became unreadable. "I'll take first turn honors, since I am of the better class." Fanning out his cards, he took one and placed it onto a square on the table. "I summon Luster Dragon (1900/1600) in attack mode." A bipedal dragon covered in sapphire appeared on the small playing field. "End turn."

Ichigo frowned at the sight of a creature with that much attack power. ("He's starting out strong.") "My turn…draw." The half-demon pulled the top card off of his deck and added it to his hand. Looking his cards over, he tried to hide his frown. ("Only one monster card?") Taking a card from the middle of his hand, he placed it into his monster zone in a horizontal position. "I summon Cyber Shadow-Guardian (0/2200) in defense mode." A steel robot appeared on his field in a crouching position. It shuddered and then was enveloped by a field of prismatic light. Ichigo took another card from his hand and placed it on the table. "I also set one card face-down." On the grid of the field, the square behind his monster lit up. "End turn."

Adriel drew. "What's the matter? I thought you would have wanted to take a free shot against me." He shrugged. "Now you'll regret going onto the defensive so early." He placed a card from his hand onto the field. "I summon Spear Dragon (1900/0) in attack mode." A blue-bodied dragon appeared on the field. "Then I end my turn."

Ichigo scrunched up his brow. ("What are you up to?") "My turn…draw." He drew and his mouth quirked into a slight smile. ("That's much better.") Taking the card he had drawn, the half-demon placed it into his monster zone. "I summon Cyber Shadow-Strongarm (1900/1300) to the field in attack mode." A burly humanoid creature wearing a full-black bodysuit and a futuristic helmet that hid its face appeared on the field. "End turn for now."

Adriel looked at the new Cyber Shadow monster and whistled in amazement. "What an amazing monster. 1900 attack points are definitely something to fear." He took a card from his hand and flicked it onto his monster zone. "I summon Gemini Dragon Wings (1900/2200) to the field in attack mode." A pair of draconic wings attached to a spectral dragon appeared on the field.

Ichigo paled at the sight of another 1900 monster on his opponent's field. ("This is insane! How many of these powerful monsters does he have!?")

Adriel placed a card face-down in his magic and trap zone, the appropriate square on his board lighting up. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Ichigo took a deep breath. "My turn…draw." He pulled the card off of the top of his deck and flipped it over. ("Hmm, this might come in handy.") "End turn."

"Aww, did you not draw anything playable?" Adriel drew the top card of his deck. "That's a shame." He dropped another card into his monster zone. "I summon another Spear Dragon in attack mode. End turn." A second blue-bodied dragon appeared on his field.

Ichigo felt like a man who was facing an avalanche on the verge of falling. "This is gonna be a long game if we just keep summoning monsters."

"We? You've only summoned two." Adriel's smirk said that he had something horribly evil in mind.

"That's gonna change really quick. My turn…draw!" Ichigo suddenly felt his blood boiling, like something was telling him that he needed to pick up the speed of this game. Glancing at the drawn card he smirked and picked up his Cyber Shadow-Strongarm, dropping the card into the graveyard. "I sacrifice my monster to summon Cyber Shadow-Intelligence Operative in attack mode!" (1200/600) A humanoid in a black overcoat that was concealing its features appeared on the field. "As long as he is in play, I may draw two cards every turn. Also, you cannot attack him as long as I have other Cyber Shadow agents in play. End turn."

Adriel looked at the new monster for a few seconds, and then threw back his head to laugh loudly. "What's that going to accomplish!?" He drew and placed the drawn card face-down into his last monster zone. "I set one monster on the field in face-down defense mode and end my turn." He did something odd at this point. Reaching over, he took the top card of his deck and placed it into his graveyard.

Ichigo blinked at him. "What the heck are you doing?"

Adriel pointed at the spectral form of his Gemini Dragon Wings. "As long as this monster is in play I must discard one card from the top of my deck every draw phase."

Ichigo gritted his teeth. ("I hate stale-mates! Come on deck; give me something to shake things up!") "It's my turn again. Draw!" He snapped two cards off the top of his deck and fanned them out in front of his face. "Finally I can do something other than just sit here and watch the field collect dust."

He placed one of the two cards into his graveyard. "Reinforcements of the Army let me search my deck for a level four or lower warrior monster card and add it to my hand." He picked up his deck and fanned it out in front of him.

Taking a card from amongst the stack, he added it to his hand. Shuffling the stack of cards up, the half-demon placed it back into his deck zone. "I searched for this monster." He threw it onto his monster zone. "I summon Cyber Shadow-Blademaster (2000/1600) in attack mode!" A humanoid monster clothed in black appeared on the field. It drew a pair of prismatic energy swords from out of thin air. "Attack his Luster Dragon!" The warrior launched across the field, blades ready to cut the dragon down.

Adriel grabbed his face-down card and flipped it face-up. "Reveal Dragon's Roar! This quick-play magic card will negate your attack and force your monster to switch into defense mode." His Spear Dragon opened its jaws and roared loudly, releasing a wave of sound energy that forced the Cyber Shadow agent to one knee.

Ichigo took a card from his card and slapped it face-down onto his field. "End turn."

Adriel drew. "You're starting to bore me. Spear Dragon, attack his Blademaster now!" The blue dragon opened its beak-like mouth and released a spinning drill of wind energy. "This is the end for your monster!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Ichigo flipped up one of his two face-down cards. "Reveal Guardian Barrier! This continuous trap will change the defense point values of all Cyber Shadow monsters on my field to the defense of one Cyber Shadow-Guardian under my control!" The metal robot on his field extended its barrier to engulf all of Ichigo's monsters, blocking the Spear Dragon's attack.

Ichigo- 4000

Adriel- 3700

Adriel grimaced as his Spear Dragon folded its wings on itself and went to defense mode. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

"Alright then, draw!" Ichigo snapped the top two cards off of his deck and added them to his hand. The half-demon took a card from his hand and dropped it into his graveyard. "I'll activate Reload, allowing me to shuffle my hand back into my deck and draw a number of cards equal to the number I shuffled in." He shuffled his hand into his deck and then offered the stack of cards to his opponent. "Care to cut for me?"

Adriel shook his head. "I'll pass."

Placing the stack back into his deck zone, Ichigo drew six cards and fanned them out in front of his face. ("Let's see if this hand has more potential to it.") He looked the hand over and grinned. "First, I'll switch Cyber Shadow-Blademaster into attack mode!" The warrior stood up and drew his swords again. "And then I'll order him to attack your Luster Dragon!"

Adriel flipped up his face-down card. "I'll just activate another Dragon's Roar, putting him in defense mode." The Luster Dragon opened its jaws and roared, another wave of sound pressing the Cyber Shadow agent to one knee again.

Ichigo didn't seem bothered by it though. Taking a pair of cards from his hand, he set one face-down on his field, and placed the other face-up in his monster card zone. "I'll set one card face-down on my field and summon Cyber Shadow-Disguise (1000/1800) to the field in defense mode." A humanoid form made entirely of shadows appeared on his field in a crouching position. "End turn."

Adriel drew. "You're wasting your time trying to defend. The very second I find a way around your defenses, it's over. End turn." He discarded the top card off of his deck.

Ichigo closed his eyes and bowed his head. ("Please…give me the strength to win this fight.") His eyes opened and he placed his hand on his deck. "My turn…draw!" He drew the top two cards of his deck and added them to his hand. ("Not enough…but close. Now I just need to get a little bit more card power into my hand.")

He grinned at the face-down card he had set last turn. "Watch this Adriel…I'm sure you'll find it interesting." He flipped up the card. "Reveal my trap card, Shadow Optics! This allows me to sacrifice a Cyber Shadow agent on my field to create an exact copy of one of your creatures." His Cyber Shadow-Disguise shuddered and exploded. "And because my Disguise was sacrificed to Shadow Optics, his effect lets me draw two cards!" The half-demon snapped two cards off of his deck.

Meanwhile, a mass of shadowy material had appeared on his field. It quickly gathered together and formed into an exact copy of a Spear Dragon. Ichigo took another card from his hand and slapped it down onto his field. "Then I activate the magic card Polymerization, allowing me to fuse two monsters from my hand or field together into one single creature!"

Taking a card from his hand, he snapped it around to show its face. "So I'll fuse Cyber Shadow-Blademaster and Cyber Shadow-Assassin (1000/1000) together to create a monster of incredible power!" The dual sword-wielding Blademaster disappeared off of his field and was replaced by a humanoid being in an armored bodysuit that stretched over its whole face and body. Within the center of its head was a single mechanical red eye, and in its hand was a humming katana of energy. "Introducing Special Operative-Fox!" (2200/1200)

Adriel grimaced at the sight of no magic or trap cards on his field. ("Damn…")

Ichigo grabbed another card in his hand and threw it onto his field. "Finally, I summon Cyber Shadow-Marksman (1700/1000) to my field in attack mode!" A humanoid figure clothed in black and cradling a sniper rifle to its chest appeared. "You're about to regret giving me so much time to prepare! Spear Dragon Clone, attack his defense mode Spear Dragon now!" The fake Spear Dragon opened its jaws and released a drill-shaped pillar of wind that blew Adriel's real Spear Dragon apart. "And as per the effect of Spear Dragon, you will take damage even though your monster is in defense mode!"

Ichigo- 4000

Adriel- 1800

Adriel growled and clenched his fists. It was one thing to lose to this boy's monsters, but it was another thing to lose to cheap facsimiles of his own.

Ichigo pointed at the Gemini Dragon Wings and the Luster Dragon. "The special ability of Special Operative-Ninja allows him to attack twice per battle phase. So take this!" The cyber ninja faded out of view, appearing in front of the two dragons. In less time that it took to blink an eye, they were both destroyed.

Ichigo- 4000

Adriel- 1200

"Finally, my Marksman will attack your face-down monster card!" The warrior slung his sniper rifle up and aimed it at the card. One booming gunshot later the card was gone.

Adriel, eyes closed, snarled out, "Are you done?"

Ichigo flipped up his face-down card. "Not yet. Reveal Mystic Wok, which allows me to sacrifice one monster on my field and gain life points equal to its attack points!" The Spear Dragon fake disappeared in a flash of green light.

Ichigo- 5900

Adriel- 1200

"Now my turn is complete." Ichigo smirked, because in one turn he had completely turned the duel in his favor.

Adriel drew and placed a card face-down on his field. "I'll set this card, and then I'll set one monster in defense mode." He had turned a slight shade of white. "End turn."

Ichigo drew his two cards. "I think we're done here. Marksman and Ninja, attack his two monsters!" The two monsters launched across the field and slashed through the creatures, blowing them apart. Ichigo threw Adriel a little salute. "Next time, try being nicer to people you defeat. Special Operative-Ninja, attack his life points directly!" The monster launched across the field and slashed its miniature sword in front of Adriel's chest.

Ichigo- 5900

Adriel- 0

Adriel stared numbly at his deck and then at his opponent. ("I…lost?")

Ichigo held out his hand. "Return the Dark Magician card, as you promised."

With a flick of his wrist, Adriel had the card in his hand again. He handed it to Ichigo and then picked up the remains of his deck. "I will get back at you for this, boy."

The half-demon flicked one of his ears and smiled mockingly. "The name is Ichigo Pilkington, and I'm ready for whatever you can throw at me. So come back whenever you feel up to it."

Adriel walked away from the dueling table trying to salvage what dignity he still had at the moment.

And from his seat across the cabin, Hitokage Seijitsu tapped his fingers together. ("Pilkington…you continued to interest me.") From behind his fingers, he wore a dark smile. ("Unforetunately for you, that's not a good thing.")

_To be continued…_

Author's Notes: Whew! Sorry that I couldn't post this up sooner, but I left my computer behind while I went out for thanksgiving break. Alright, read and review please.


	3. First Day

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 3: First day; the opening day tournament

Ichigo sighed and dropped his duffel bag to the ground in front of him. "Wow….this is the place? This is…my home?"

What stood before him was a large building that seemed to be made up of numerous small apartments. However, the building itself was falling apart on the outside. All across the surface of the walls were numerous scratches and marks, leaving the whole building looking like it hadn't been serviced in years.

Ichigo started to have thoughts about complaining to his father, or one of the other instructors. Then he looked at the red uniform he was wearing and reminded himself that this was his fault. ("I can't believe I did so badly on the written test. Though I'd think that someone would have seen me defeat Midas and that would have counter-balanced the fact that I'm in….Osiris Red.") He cringed at the way everyone on the plane had spoken so disdainfully of the dorm. Apparently, if you were sent here then you were on the fast track out of the academy.

With a sigh of resignation to his apparent fate, Ichigo picked up his duffel bag and walked up the stairs on the outside of the building. Reaching the second story of rooms, he looked at his sheet of paper to see which of them was his. Glancing at the door nearest to the staircase the half-demon took a deep breath and opened the door, expecting the absolute worst conditions.

What greeted him was actually a rather quaint little room, with a small kitchen at one end and a pair of desks at the other. Diagonally across from the door was a single triple bunk-bed. And sitting in the center of the room, with his back to Ichigo, was a dark-haired boy in a red uniform.

Ichigo smirked and quietly placed his duffel bag on the ground. With a stealth that only someone with fox demon blood in them could use, he slowly snuck up on his 'prey'. ("May as well start the year off with a little fun.") When he just a few inches away, he pounced….

With impossible speed the dark-haired boy snapped his arm back and locked Ichigo into a headlock. "What makes you think that I didn't hear you come in?" Releasing his grip on the half-demon, he turned around to face his new roommate. "So you're the guy I'm going to spend this year with, huh?"

Ichigo grinned. "Yep! Ichigo Pilkington, pleasure to make your acquaintance." He bowed politely.

The other boy brushed his hair back, his bronzed skin glowing in the light. "I'm Griff Mohistava." He smiled slightly as he recognized the name. "Pilkington? As in the same Pilkington that was around during the Shadow Tournament that had been held twenty years ago?"

Ichigo, though surprised, managed to hide it. "Um….yeah. Do you know my dad?"

Griff shook his head. "I don't know him, but my father has heard of him." Taking a deep breath, he started into what sounded like a list of statistics. "Daniel Pilkington, who tied with Yugi Moto in the Shadow Tournament. He also supposedly saved the world during the 'weird incident' just a few months later. After that he proceeded to win tournaments across the United States."

Ichigo sweat-dropped at that. "Er….yeah, that's my dad. So, does my dad know yours?"

Griff shook his head. "I doubt it. My dad dueled in the quarter finals of the Shadow Tournament. Other than that, they really don't know each other." His eyes widened slightly as he finally noticed something about his new roommate. "Are those….your ears?"

Ichigo flicked one of the ears and winked. "Yep…that they are. Anything wrong with that?"

"Nope." Griff snapped his fingers and returned the wink. "Actually, we've got a couple of demons here on the campus. They're supposed to be two of the best duelists around."

For Ichigo, that inspired memories of Eri. He shivered in instinctive fear at her threat. "Yeah, I've met one of them."

"Oh? Who?" From the way Ichigo had reacted to the mention of other demon students, Griff could only assume he had met Eri. "If you're thinking of who I'm thinking of then trust me, her threats aren't for show."

Ichigo paled visibly. "She's…really gonna try and…?"

Griff nodded and stood up. "Trust me, that girl is dangerous."

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Meanwhile right outside the Osiris Red dorm, another boy was approaching the building slowly. He carried a duffel bag that was slung over one shoulder and a backpack over the other. Wearing a baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses, he walked nervously towards the dorm building.

"Hey, where are you off to in such a hurry?" A voice from behind him rang.

He froze up and then after a few seconds of mental debate, he picked up the pace.

"I'm talking to you, lower classman!" The voice got closer. A boy in a blue uniform, followed by two more, approached him. "Something wrong with your ears?"

The boy continued to walk, hoping that they would just leave him alone.

Unforetunately, this particular member of the Obelisk Blue dorm was not having a good day. And in his mind, nothing was more stress-relieving that picking on the lower classmen. Snapping out his arm, he clamped it down on the other boy's shoulder. "I think you need to learn some respect for your betters!"

When the hand had come down on his shoulder, the boy instinctively froze up. "Let…me…go…" He said in quiet tones.

"Or you'll what?" He heard the upper classmen whisper from right behind him.

And then he was flying forwards to slam face-first into the ground. Every instinct in Krieger's body told him that he needed to do something about this, but then one single thought came into his mind. ("But what if…I lose control…") His stomach turned at the possibilities of that. With no will to fight, he knew that he was about to get pounded mercilessly.

The upper classman reached down and removed Krieger's hat and glasses, tossing the two articles aside. "Now stand up and…." His breath caught in throat at the sight of what was on top of the other boy's head.

A pair of brown-furred cat ears…

("A…demon…") For a few seconds, he wanted to turn and run. It was common knowledge that the other two demon students at the academy were both considered to be dangerous. This left an imprint in his mind…and now he wanted to stop right now.

Except that he was with his friends, and chickening out in the middle of a situation like this would not help his reputation. So swallowing his fear, he kicked Krieger in the side. "Come now, don't be shy! I'm sure that you're a better fighter than you look…kitty!" His face twisted into a sneer.

From behind him, his two friends chuckled and crossed their arms across their chests.

Krieger felt angry…and he was trying to calm himself down. It wasn't helping that he was getting kicked in the side repeatedly though. Every blow that landed was wearing away at his mental control, and he started to feel the blood pounding in his head. "Please….stop…" His body started to shiver uncontrollably.

The upper classman snickered and rubber his index finger under his nose. "Or you'll do what?" Someone tapped him on his shoulder. He turned around just in time to catch a pair of fists in the cheek and forehead. With one gasp of surprise and pain, he collapsed in a heap on the ground.

Ichigo sighed and cracked his knuckles. "The bullies around here aren't very tough at all. Can't even take a decent punch to the face without falling like a house of cards in a hurricane."

Griff smirked and wiped a little bit of skin off of his knuckle. "Yeah, well these guys aren't so tough compared to some of the real upper classmen. Of course, I can only assume such a thing. I don't really get to fight most of the other guys here." He looked over at the sprawled forms of the upper classmen's friends and felt a swell of satisfaction at being able to stop a bully from picking on someone.

Ichigo wasn't listening though. His attention was on the shivering form in the dirt. "Hey, are you…" Then he noticed the boy's ears and frowned. ("Sheesh…those bullies didn't have any idea what they were screwing with.")

Reaching down, he helped Krieger to his feet and brushed off the other half-demon's red uniform. "Hey…can you hear me?"

When the only response he got was a low growl, Ichigo looked back at Griff. "I'd suggest you back up a little."

Griff raised an eyebrow in question, though he did so. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong is that…" Ichigo ducked under a claw swipe that came from a suddenly moving Krieger. "…this guy…" He stepped backwards, refusing to use any physical force against another demon that was simply stuck in the throes of rage. "…is a half-demon that apparently dislikes being picked on." The next swipe nicked his cheek, leaving behind a thin line of blood.

Griff looked about ready to leap in and try to help. "Hang on, I'll stop…"

"NO!" Ichigo leapt backwards again, another line of blood appearing on his cheek next to the first. ("He's getting faster with each passing second. I can't hurt him though, because he's not responsible for this.") The half-demon twisted his head to the side; another line of blood springing up on his should as Krieger's claws swiped in again.

Through all of this Krieger was snarling in anger, his eyes glowing crimson red.

("How am I going…"?) Ichigo's thoughts stopped dead in his head as he tripped over a rock. Slamming back first into the ground, all he saw was Krieger's hand coming down to drive itself right into his skull. ("Damn…") Throwing up his arms, Ichigo prayed for a miracle.

Which came seconds later, as Griff slammed his elbow down on Krieger's exposed neck. The half cat demon crashed into the ground, going limp immediately. "Hot damn…this guy was fast."

Ichigo opened his eyes slowly and after seeing that he was alive, wiped a few drops of sweat off of his forehead. Standing, he threw the now unconscious Krieger over his shoulder. "Hey…could you get his bags?"

Griff nodded, picking up the scattered articles that were all over the ground and following the now limping Ichigo back to their room.

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Eri smiled from her perch in a nearby tree. ("So…he's actually as nice as he claims to be. If it was me, that guy would have been missing his throat before he'd ever had gotten a chance to swipe at me.")

Pulling her cell phone out of her pocket, Eri decided that Ichigo deserved a little reward for meeting her expectations, if not surpassing them.

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As soon as Krieger regained consciousness, the first thing that hit his senses was the smell of mint in the air. That…and he had a pounding headache.

Ichigo glanced over at Krieger and noticed one of the other boy's ears flick. "Ah, awake? That's good." He took a sip of his mint tea.

Griff rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry about hitting you back there."

Krieger rubbed the back of skull, where a small bump had formed. "It's alright," he said meekly, his German accent clipped slightly. "I hold no grudge against you. If anything, I owe you much." Looking around the small room, he realized that he was lying on a bed.

Ichigo patted Krieger on the back. "Hey, don't dwell on the past. We all have problems like that sometimes…"

Griff rolled his eyes at that. ("Yeah…I'm sure that all of us have problems with turning into savage beasts when we get angry.") These two didn't reinforce what he felt at the moment. He felt fear of both of them. They were so powerful…and unstable.

All three of them were brought out of their individual thoughts when someone knocked on the door. Less than a couple of seconds later, a slip of paper slid underneath the door and onto the carpet.

Griff, who was nearest to the door, reached down and picked it up. Looking it over, he blinked in surprise. "It's an invitation…to the Opening Day Tournament."

The moment the word 'tournament' was heard, Ichigo suddenly had the piece of paper in his hands. In fact, the only indication that he had ever moved from his seat was that his position was changed slightly.

After looking the invitation over, the half demon grinned. "So at the beginning of each year they hold a tournament of thirty-two. The first twenty six spots are held for duelists of the Obelisk Blue dormitory. The remaining six are open to anyone who wishes to compete, though most do not enter out of fear of losing." His grin got wider and he leapt up out of his chair, breaking into his 'I'm the best' dance. "This is great! I get to duel now!"

Griff sighed and sat on the counter behind him. "Are you crazy? You're going to get eaten alive."

Krieger stared at the two of them, feeling horribly out of place. "Um…excuse me?"

They both stopped talking and turned to look at him.

"I…was wondering where I could find Ichigo Pilkington and Griff Mohistava." His cheeks flushed at the sudden attention that had been brought to him.

Ichigo smiled and motioned to the middle bunk. "That's my bed. Don't mess with it and we'll be just fine." Throwing a playful wink, he grabbed his backpack and ran out the door.

Griff sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Welcome to your room. That was Ichigo, and I'm Griff." He walked out the door, following his first roommate.

Krieger stared at the open door for a few seconds, and then followed.

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Ichigo flashed the victory sign to no one in particular, and then he looked at his brand new duel disk. It was much sleeker and smaller than his older model, with the only moving part of it being a curved plastic/metal playing field that extended out enough to reveal the graveyard slot. "This thing is so cool!" He felt like breaking into dance again, but decided that since it was almost his turn it would be a bad idea.

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Eri sneered coldly as her opponent walked away from the arena sadly. "I suggest that next time you try a little harder. If that really was your best then you truly deserve to be part of Osiris Red."

Turning, she walked off the arena floor and coldly smiled. ("All of my plans are coming into place. If Ichigo Pilkington is as good as he is supposed to be, then he should be able to defeat the opponent's in his way with little problem. Hopefully, I'll meet him in the finals.")

As she walked out of the arena area and returned to the waiting zone, a calm voice reached her ears. "What are you scheming, Eri?"

The wolf demoness turned around to meet a pair of jade eyes and a head of blond hair. "None of your business, Hitokage." She smirked mockingly. "By the way, I didn't see you on the tournament roster. Did you decide not to take part this year?"

The Japanese boy turned away from her and walked off calmly. "I didn't join because the headmaster asked me not to. He wanted to give the rest of you a chance to win this year."

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"Next up; Ichigo Pilkington of the Osiris Red dorm versus Eric Zanmatsai of Ra Yellow dorm! Will both duelists please come to the arena?" The announcer was none other than Midas King himself, and reading the name of the disgusting little bastard that had humiliated him made him want to retch. Throwing back his regal golden robes, he prayed with all of his heart that Zanmatsai could knock Pilkington out of this tournament in the first round.

From his seat amongst the other instructors, Daniel smiled and slid down to grab a seat closer to the action. "Alright…let's see what you can do son."

_To be continued…_

Author's Notes: Just a normal length chapter today. Mostly because I was doing this and doing an important Geology report at the same time. I finished it an hour ago though, so I'll started on the duel right now.

To Grisham: I didn't base Ichigo's deck off of the Tactical Espionage Expert. I didn't even know the thing existed when I created the deck theme.

To VoidTemplar: Thank you very much for your character submission. I'll see if I can fit him in anywhere.

To ObsessiveZeroFan: Why don't you repost your character in your next review, so I'm sure I have it.

To Norio22: I'm a freak of nature. That's how I do it.

To Seeker of the Soul: MWHAHAHAHA!!!! :: Shrugs and walks off:

To Adriel: Don't complain :P

To Lord Raven Draken: Hey….um….I can still have an excuse…like that I broke my leg….and lost my girlfriend…er…::Sighes:: Alright, so I don't have an excuse.

To TheMysticWanderer: A mute duelist!? Ingenious!


	4. A withering strategy

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 4: A withering strategy

Ichigo took a deep breath and walked out into the stadium area. The first thing that came to his ears was the polite applause of the upper classmen, and truly excited applause that came from the younger and new students. There was even some authentic applause from the instructors, excluding Daniel of course.

From across the field, Eric Zanmatsai calmly appraised his first opponent in the Opening Day Tournament. He didn't see much to worry about. ("However, I must remember that every opponent cannot be all that bad, or else they wouldn't have made it into this school in the first place.")

Ichigo was doing a similar appraisal at the moment, though his wasn't nearly as intense. ("I wonder what kind of strategy a guy like this has.")

Eric was about 5'8", with semi-spiky black hair and blue eyes. He wore his yellow uniform with true pride and, from the way he carried himself, he was ready to duel ferociously. "So Ichigo, shall we begin?" His duel disk, which was the same model as Ichigo's, extended its single piece to reveal the graveyard slot. A section of the disk slid out to reveal two more squares for cards, giving the disk a total of five magic/trap spaces and five monster spaces. "Because I've been hoping that I could be offered a good challenge from you."

Ichigo grinned widely and his duel disk slid into the proper position. "You know I'm ready to give you my all."

Midas took the microphone in his hands and said, "Begin round!"

Ichigo- 4000

Eric- 4000

"I'm first. Draw!" Eric snapped six cards off the top of his deck, fanning them out in front of him.

Ichigo drew his five card hand, though he didn't bother to look at them yet. He wanted to keep what they were a secret, even to himself.

Eric's eyes narrowed at the sight of the six cards. Taking two of them, he slid them into his duel disk. Holographic representations appeared face-down on the field. "I set two cards face-down on my field." He took another card and placed it in a horizontal position in his monster zone. Another card appeared in front of the two set magic/trap cards on the field. "Plus I'll set one monster face-down. End turn."

"Cool, which means I'm up. Draw!" Ichigo drew the top card of his deck and slid it into his hand. ("Now, what do I have to work with?") Then he noticed one of the cards in the center of his hand. Taking it, he showed it to his opponent. "I activate the magic card Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two cards from my deck." In one motion two more cards were in his hand.

The half-demon smiled slightly at the cards he had. ("This is definitely a well-balanced hand.") Grabbing one of the cards, he slapped it onto his disk. "I summon Cyber Shadow-Soldier (1600/1600) in attack mode!" A black-bodysuit wearing warrior appeared on his field. "Attack his face-down monster card now!" Lifting its hand, the warrior unleashed a wave of pulsing energy that blew the face-down monster apart.

Eric snickered and held up the card. "You've attacked my Mystic Tomato. (1400/1100) When it is destroyed in battle, I may special summon a dark attribute monster from my deck to the field in attack mode." He popped his deck free of its slot in his disk. "The only stipulation is that the chosen monster can only have up to 1500 attack points." Selecting his card, he slapped it onto his field. "So I'll just summon Sangan (1000/600) in attack mode." A little furry fiend monster with three eyes appeared on the field.

Ichigo frowned at the fact that he had walked right into that trick. ("Oh well, it's not so bad.") He slid two cards into his duel disk. "I set two cards face-down on my field." Two brown-backed cards shimmered into existence behind his Cyber Shadow agent. "End turn."

Eric drew. "You're like all the rest, aren't you?"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at that. "Like all the rest? What do you mean?"

"I mean that you believe the game of Duel Monsters is all about attacking, don't you? In your eyes, there's no other way to win." He slid a card from his hand into his duel disk. A face-up card hologram appeared on his field. The picture was of a sword piercing through some cards, and the end of the blade being embedded in a stone weight. "Well, my continuous magic card will show you otherwise, rookie. I activate Killing the Counter-Balance! As long as this card is in play, we must each discard our hands at the end of the turn, and then draw an equal number of cards from our deck."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at the card. ("Why would you play that? You may as well say, 'Here Ichigo, here's some more options for you to work with.")

Eric motioned to his Sangan. "First I'll switch that adorable little guy into defense mode." The furry creature threw its little hands up in front of it, concealing its face. "Also, I set another monster in defense mode." A brown-backed horizontal card appeared next to his first monster. "End turn." Taking his remaining two cards, Eric slid them into his graveyard slot and then drew two cards off the top of his deck.

"Alright Eric, you're getting on my nerves. Draw!" Ichigo snapped the top card off of his deck and added it to his hand. "First, I set two cards face-down." Two more cards appeared on the field next to his first two. "And then I summon Cyber Shadow-Psychic (1500/1200) in attack mode." A woman in a black bodysuit appeared on the field. "Soldier and Psychic, blow Sangan and that other monster away!" The Soldier unleashed another blast of energy from its palms, while the Psychic charged up a glowing ball of golden light that she fired at the Sangan. In one thunderous explosion, both creatures were gone.

Eric pulled his deck free from its slot again. "First I'll activate Sangan's effect. When it is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, I may search my deck for any monster with 1500 or less attack points and add it to my hand." He fanned out the cards and looked through them quickly, as if he already knew what he needed. Grasping the card that he had chosen, he added it to his hand. "And then the effect of my other monster activates."

He reinserted his deck back into its slot. "My other monster was Skelengel (900/400) and its special ability is that when it is flipped up I draw one card from my deck." Drawing, he fanned out the four cards he had now. "You're just too easy to predict. Every move you make is predictable."

Ichigo controlled a sudden urge to snarl. "Maybe you should stop insulting me; it could be bad for your health. End turn." He discarded his two cards and drew two more.

"Was that a threat?" Eric drew. "Not that I care. You know as well as I do that a true duelist doesn't come to violence because of a duel."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. ("I guess he's never heard about some of the duels that my father has been in.")

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From up in the stands, Griff and Krieger were both watching intently.

"Hey…Krieger?" Griff looked over at his roommate.

"Yes?" The half-demon kept his eyes on the duel.

"In all the excitement, I never even got to learn your last name." Griff rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry about that."

Krieger smiled slightly, though he kept his eyes on the field. "Reinhardt….my last name is Reinhardt."

"Reinhardt!? As in Siegfried Reinhardt!?" Griff had heard of the famous duelist from Germany. Not many people hadn't heard of him.

Krieger sighed and nodded. "Yes, that's the one." He didn't like to talk about his father, mostly because he wanted to pave his own road to fame.

Griff sighed and fell back in his chair. ("Great…Reinhardt…Pilkington…") Why did he have to get the two kids of such famous duelists. ("Then again, they haven't acted very stuck-up at all. Maybe they're not going to let their fathers' names get to their egos.")

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Eric slid two cards into his disk. "I set two cards face-down on my field." Two more face-down cards appeared on the other side of his face-up Killing the Counter-Balance continuous magic card. "Now I have no magic and trap zones left to use..." He snickered and placed a card on his disk. "I'll set one monster face-down and end my turn at that." The two cards in his hand were discarded and two more were drawn.

"My turn…draw!" Ichigo drew quickly, as if Eric's magic card was putting him on a time limit. ("I gotta get to his life points before he unleashes whatever tricks he might have set face-down.") "Cyber Shadows Psychic and Soldier, attack one after the other!" The two monsters charged up their respective attacks.

Eric waved his finger in the air. "You think all of these cards are bluffs?" One of the four face-down cards flipped up. "Think again. Activate the trap card Phase Skip! Now you will skip your battle phase, but in return you get to draw a card." The field shimmered like a mirage, and then Ichigo's main phase skipped right to his next one.

The half-demon drew his card. ("Hmm….") "I set one card face-down on my field and end my turn." A fifth face-down card appeared on his field. Ichigo discarded his hand of three cards and drew three more.

Eric drew. "Getting frustrated by the fact that you can't attack my life points?" He slid one card into his disk to replace his last trap card. "I set another card face-down, and then I'll set a monster in defense mode. End turn." He tossed out his single remaining card and drew another from his deck to replace it.

Ichigo's ears wilted slightly at how boring this was getting. ("Why won't he at least try and attack?") "Draw!" He snapped the top card off of his deck and glanced at it. "I summon Cyber Shadow-Blademaster (2000/1600) in attack mode!" A black-suited warrior wielding a pair of swords appeared on the field. "Now I attack with Cyber Shadow-Psychic! Blast his first face-down monster!"

"Reverse card open!" Eric pointed to another of his face-down cards, which flipped face-up. "Activate the trap Card Shift! This will allow me to discard one card from my hand to activate any trap card in my graveyard! So I'll just turn on another Phase Skip effect, so no battle phase for you!" He discarded the one card in his hand, and the field shimmered again as Ichigo's phase was skipped.

Ichigo took a deep and calming breath, knowing that if he got angry he would lose his focus. "End turn." He discarded the three cards in his hand and drew three more.

Eric drew. "You're not even trying anymore, are you?" He placed the card he had drawn onto his duel disk next to his other two face-down monsters. "I'll just set one monster on the field and end my turn." Since he had no hand now, he didn't need to discard anything.

"Draw!" Ichigo fanned out his four cards and smiled at the sight of one. Tapping the side of his dueling field, a compartment slid out. He took a card from his hand and placed it in the compartment. With a click, the compartment slid back into place. "I play the field magic card Fusion Gate! As long as this effect is in play, we can both fuse monsters from our hands and fields without needing a Polymerization magic card!"

Eric snorted. "You think fusing monsters will make the difference?"

Ichigo ignored him. "All three of my monsters will now attack your three face-down monsters!" His three creatures prepared to attack.

Eric tapped a button on his duel disk, and another of his face-down cards flipped face-up. "I'll just have to negate that with my face-down Zero Gravity trap card." All three of Ichigo's monsters fell to one knee and threw their arms up in front of them. "This will switch the mode of all face-up monsters on the field."

The half-demon knew that he wouldn't be foiled forever. "End turn." He discarded his three cards and drew three more, grimacing at the sight of his dwindling deck. ("So that's his plan. He's trying to make me exhaust my deck.")

Eric drew. "You're a waste of my time. I can't even fathom why you would sign up for this tournament. Did you intend to make such a poor showing?" He slid the card he had drawn into a slot of his disk. "I'll just set this card and end my turn."

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From her seat in the waiting zone, Eri frowned at the sight of Ichigo's duel. ("He's being toyed with…I should have known better than to put him in the ring with a real opponent.") Though she started to feel regret for doing this to him, the feeling was quickly gone. ("Then again…maybe he's not beaten yet.")

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"Draw!" Ichigo drew. After glancing at his hand, he motioned to his three monsters. "I switch all of my monsters back into attack mode!" All three of the Cyber Shadow Agents came to their feet. "Attack his monsters!"

Eric tapped three buttons on his duel disk. "I'd think you would have learned by now! Reverse cards open! The first is the continuous trap card Empathic Pain. As long as it is in play, whenever I discard cards from the top of my deck you must discard the same number from yours!" His hand pointed at the center of the three cards. "That works perfectly with my second continuous trap, which is Mind Shield. As long as it is in play, I may discard three cards off of my deck to negate any attack."

Curious, Ichigo pointed at the third face-up card. "And your third card?"

Eric chuckled. "I'm getting to it. My third card is the continuous trap card Mental Recycling. As long as it is in play, whenever I discard a card off the top of my deck I actually place it at the bottom of my deck. Unfortunately for you though…you still are going to have to discard nine cards off of your deck."

Ichigo gritted his teeth and proceeded to do so. Meanwhile, his three monsters froze in their tracks and returned to his field. ("Oh man…I'm in real trouble now. By my count, I only have six cards left in my deck.") "I'm done for now." He discarded his four card hand and drew four cards off the top of his deck. He only had two cards left, which meant that at the end of next turn his deck would be empty and he would lose the game.

Eric drew. "Since you've been such a good sport, I'll make this quick. End turn."

Ichigo closed his eyes, and listened to the murmurs of the crowd. He heard all of them whisper amongst themselves about how he couldn't possibly pull off a win in just one turn.

"What's the matter?" Eric asked with a calm smile on his face. "What's the hold-up? Are you hoping for that draw that will turn this around?"

Slowly, Ichigo opened his eyes and smiled slightly. "I'm just building up the suspense. Ready to see what my last draw is?" He pulled the card off of his deck and flipped it over for his opponent to see. "You're done. I've been waiting for one single card, and now that card has come."

Eric narrowed his eyes at the card. "Cyber Shadow-Assassin? (1000/1000) How is that the key to any kind of victory?"

Ichigo smirked and tapped a button on his duel disk. "You'll see in a second! First though, reverse card open! Monster Reborn! This magic card will revive one monster from the graveyard. And I know just what monster to bring back. It was in my hand at the beginning of the game and now it's back!" There was a huge flash of bright light that engulfed the field, and when it cleared a squat black robot stood on the field.

Eric blinked in surprise at the comical metal moustache on the monster's face. "What…in the hell is that?"

Ichigo snapped his fingers, and the machine started to make a ticking noise. "This is Shadow Bomb. (200/1500) And thanks to its special ability, I'm about to clear the field of all monsters!"

"What!?" Eric paled at that declaration. "How!?"

"Allow me to explain! Shadow Bomb is going to destroy all monsters on my field and drain my life points by 1000 per monster. However, in return it will destroy an equal number of monsters on your side of the field!" The ticking stopped and Ichigo lifted his hand, thumb and index finger touching. "Bang." He snapped his fingers.

Then everything went up in one huge explosion that deafened everyone in the stadium and shook the structure of the building. When the smoke cleared, Ichigo stood unaffected by the sound or the blast. He just continued to smirk. "This duel is almost over."

Ichigo- 1000

Eric- 4000

From within the smoke, Eric growled out, "That's what you think. I still have my deck discard combo that protects me from all attacks!"

Ichigo flipped up one of his remaining four face-down cards. "I was just about to get around that, actually. Reveal Warrior Returning Alive! This will let me pick up one warrior monster card from my graveyard and add it to my hand!" His graveyard spat out a card, which he held up. "I'm taking back Cyber Shadow-Psychic." He grabbed another card from his hand and held it up along with his Psychic. "Now, activate the special ability of Fusion Gate, which will let me fuse Cyber Shadow-Assassin and Cyber Shadow-Psychic together to fusion summon the perfect monster for your strategy!"

A ball of light appeared on his field. "I summon Special Operative-Mantis!" (2400/1200) The ball of light blew apart, revealing a lanky humanoid figure that was covered from head to toe with leather. It had a gas mask like device covering its head, and from within the lens of its eyes a pair of glowing pupils could be seen. "This is the guy who is going to take down your strategy!"

Eric rolled his eyes at the sight of the creature in front of him. "He looks like some kind of knock-off of Jin…" He felt a shiver of fear go down his spine. "No way…it couldn't be that...."

Ichigo slid three of the cards in his hand into the graveyard. "Mantis' ability is a little different from Jinzo's, but they're pretty close. By discarding a card from my hand, I can destroy and negate the effect of one trap card on the field at any time. So I'll just toss these three and blow your combo off the field!" Waves of psychic energy radiated from the head of the Special Operative. Within a few seconds Eric's three cards were gone.

"No…this is impossible!" Eric stumbled back, already knowing what the last card in his opponent's hand had to be.

"I've had a lot of fun," Ichigo smiled and slapped down the last card in his hand onto his duel disk. "Now it's time to end this though. I summon Cyber Shadow-Strongarm (1900/1300) to the field!" A burly warrior monster in a black body-suit appeared on the field. "Now, attack his life points directly!"

Mantis charged up a ball of pulsing red energy within its palms, while Strongarm charged forwards and slammed its huge fists down on Eric's shoulder.

Ichigo- 1000

Eric- 2100

Ichigo threw a half-hearted salute to his opponent. "Special Operative-Mantis, direct attack!" The Jinzo look-alike threw the ball of red energy across the field, blasting Eric off his feet.

Ichigo- 1000

Eric- 0

Amidst the cheers of some of the members of the Osiris Red dorm, Ichigo could have sworn he heard someone cursing up in the announcer's booth.

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Hitokage crossed his arms across his chest and sat back in his chair. ("He's definitely someone to be watched. However, his true strength will be shown when and if he battles Eri. If he can defeat her, then he will truly be worthy of my attention.")

_To be continued…_

Author's Notes:

To Omegadragon: Sorry, but nope. Yuki Judai and the other cast members of GX will not be making appearances in this story.

To DarkStar71: What does NG mean?

To Lord Raven Drakon: Do I write with my legs, eh? No, I actually write by bashing my skull into the keyboard.

To Grisham: Nope, the Headmaster knows better than to let Midas King referee. That's a disaster waiting to happen.

To Anime Albino: Umm….just out of curiosity, did you try and write that character right on the spot?

To Bobbomp: Looking back on my previous writings, I cannot figure out how I spat out two chapters a day. This entire story is taking a lot more effort than DDL did. So no, I doubt I can keep up with my original pace.


	5. Eri's Technique

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 5: Eri's technique; the mistress of darkness

From up in the stands, Midas King looked at the roster. After watching Ichigo Pilkington make his way through the first round of the Opening Day Tournament, the instructor felt his good mood (or whatever passes for one when it comes to him) fade away completely. He continued to announce the rounds of the first sixteen matches of the tournament, but he didn't really enjoy it that much anymore. ("After all, what can I enjoy when I know that little dog-eared punk is actually succeeding in this school."?)

Then the screen in front of him shifted and changed into the roster for the quarter finals. Still depressed, he glanced at it. What he saw instantly had him perked up. ("Eri is the first match!") He smiled coldly and turned on the microphone.

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Ichigo glanced up at the monitor, and paled as he saw who was walking into the arena. ("It's her…") His blood ran cold and Eri's original threat rang in his mind. Even though he was only watching her through the screen above him, he felt like that alone was enough for her to fulfill her threat to kill him. ("She…she…wouldn't do that…would she?")

"_If you're thinking of who I'm thinking of then trust me, her threats aren't for show."_

Though he wanted to look away, Ichigo could only watch with morbid fascination as Eri took her place in the arena. Across from her was a boy in a yellow uniform, and from the looks of how he was handling himself, he must have been new to the school.

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"…versus Aremu Doketsu! Begin!" Midas sat back to watch the show. Very little was more entertaining than watching Eri destroy her opponents.

Eri- 4000

Aremu- 4000

Aremu, a brown-haired boy who was about 6' tall, smirked at the luscious lady that was his next opponent. "Hey there sweetness, how you doing?"

Considering that she was only 5' tall, Eri seemed the larger of the two of them somehow. Narrowing her eyes, the demoness calmly stated, "I'm first." She drew off the top of her deck.

Aremu frowned at the cold shoulder that she had just given him. ("Maybe she'll be more impressed if I beat her. So, which cutesy monster is she gonna bring out first?")

Eri, eyes still narrowed, glanced her hand over to see what 'cutesy' card she would play. After a few passing seconds, she placed a card from her hand onto her disk. "I summon Bone Sorcerer (450/600) in defense mode." A very pale and withered old man wearing bone armor appeared on the field in a crouching position.

Aremu blinked in confusion. "What….the heck?"

Eri didn't seem to be paying attention to his confusion. Her petite hand took another card out of her hand and slid it into her duel disk. "I also set one card face-down on my field. End turn." Her voice remained icily calm throughout all of this.

Aremu drew. "Heh, you think I'm gonna fall for that? Obviously your face-down card is a trap meant to mess with whatever monster I set on the field." He smirked superiorly and slapped a monster onto the disk. "Well I'm ready for it. I summon Mad Dog of Darkness (1900/1400) in attack mode!"

A demonic-looking dog appeared on the field and howled. "Attack her monster and wipe it out!" The demon dog launched across the field and destroyed the Bone Sorcerer with one swipe of its claws. "That's one down!"

Eri, her demeanor still icy calm, picked the card up off of her disk and popped her deck free. Taking the Bone Sorcerer card, she shuffled it into her deck. "You've activated my monster's special ability. When it is destroyed in battle, I may shuffle it into my deck and then draw cards off the top of my deck until I come to a monster. That monster will be special summoned to the field, though it will be unable to attack as long as it is on the field."

She drew the top card off of her deck and placed it onto her disk. "I special summon Necro Master (1500/1800) to the field." A black-cloaked form appeared on her field in a crouching position. From within the folds of its robes a pair of blazing red eyes shimmered. "As long as he remains on the field, all demon sub-type monsters under my control gain 300 attack points. Also, whenever a monster of yours is destroyed you lose 100 life points for every level star of that creature."

Aremu paled at how she had just made him look like an amateur. He gritted his teeth and slid two cards into his duel disk. "I set two cards face-down on my field, and then end my turn. Let's see what you can do, sweetie." His superior smirk returned.

Eri drew and added the card to her hand. "I summon Fiend Converter (700/500) to the field in attack mode." A dark-skinned demon in priestly robes appeared on the field. "Any monster that he destroys comes to my field at the end phase of the turn. Also, he gains 300 attack points thanks to the special ability of Necro Master." A black wave of energy swirled around the priestly demon as its energy was raised. (1000/500)

Aremu snickered at the sight of the monster. "What's that weak little monster going to do? With only 1000 attack points, it's a waste of a good ability."

The demoness to a card from her hand and slid it into her duel disk. "I play the magic card Black Soul Sword. This will raise the attack points of my Demon Converter by 1000 points for every demon sub-type creature on the field." A curved sword appeared in the demon priest's grasp. The monster gasped in pain and fell to its knees, while an aura of black energy sprang up around its body. When it rose up, its entire body was radiating with a hungry black power that controlled its soul. (3000/500)

Everyone in the audience gasped in surprise, with the exclusion of some of the girls of the Obelisk Blue dorm, who cheered for their fellow duelist.

Eri's icy appearance disappeared, replaced by an evil smile. "Converter, go and show the Mad Dog the power of darkness. Attack!" The priest demon launched across the field, weapon raised to cut through the demonic dog.

Aremu motioned to one of his face-down cards. "Activate the continuous trap card Spell-Binding Circle!" A glowing hexagram appeared around the demon's neck, stopping it in mid-flight and returning it to Eri's field. "As long as this trap is in play, you won't be attacking anything with that freak of nature monster. Also, it loses 700 attack points as long as my Circle entraps it!" (2300/500)

Eri didn't even bother to look at her hand. Her expression returned to cold and impassive. "End turn."

Aremu drew. "You're cute, but you're also out of your damn mind. Maybe you need to go and see a shrink?" He took a card from his hand and slid it into his disk. "I activate the magic card Polymerization, fusing Mad Dog of Darkness with another Mad Dog in my hand to create Demon Guardian Cerberus (2600/2000) in attack mode!" The first dog monster disappeared in a flash of demonic fire, replaced by a red-furred twin-headed dog monster.

Eri motioned to her Demon Converter. "The special ability of my Black Soul Sword raises my monster's attack power by 1000 points for every demon monster on the field, yours included." The entrapped demon monster became swallowed up in more black energy as the sword that controlled its soul grew stronger. (3300/500)

Aremu snickered and slid another card from his hand into the duel disk. "Do you think I'm a rookie? I know that your monster will gain attack points when I summon my monster, dear miss Ice Queen. That's why I'm playing the equipment magic card Fusion Weapon, which raises the attack points of a level six or lower fusion monster by 1500 points!" The double-headed dog demon howled as its body became limed in a pulsing red light. (4100/3500) "Now attack her Demon Converter!" It opened its two mouths and sprayed out a tempest of flames that roared across the field towards Eri's monster.

"Only two people in this world are allowed to call me dear, and you're not either of them." Eri motioned to her face-down card, which flipped up. "Reverse card open! Activate Trap Displacement, which will change the target of your Spell-binding Circle card to your monster!" The glowing hexagram snapped off of her monster and shot across the field to ensnare Aremu's monster, negating its attack in the process. (3400/3500)

Aremu frowned at the sight of his monster stuck in his own trap card. ("Okay…maybe I shouldn't make fun of her anymore.") "End turn."

Eri drew. "Now I summon Opticlops (1800/1700) to the field in attack mode." A horrible one-eyed giant appeared on her field. "And with that I end my turn."

Aremu took a deep sigh of relief. ("Good, she can't touch my life points or my monster this turn.") He drew. After a quick glance at the card, he slid it into his duel disk. "I activate the magic card Arrival of Reinforcements. Now I will discard cards off the top of my deck until I reach a monster that I can summon. When I accomplish that, the monster will come to the field in attack mode." He started to draw cards off the top of his deck, sliding each of them into his graveyard one after another.

Then he stopped after five cards. "Excellent. I summon Devil Bomb (200/300) to the field!" A squat goblin clutching a bomb in its grasp appeared on the field. "This monster's special ability is that during my next turn it will destroy one monster on your field and reduce your life points by half of that creature's attack points. So say your last good-byes to the Demon Converter. And don't get any funny ideas about destroying my monster, because it cannot be destroyed in battle and I cannot take overflow damage from its battling. End turn." Aremu knew that the duel was his now. ("Ice Queen's about to get warmed up by fire of my Devil Bomb.")

Eri drew. Her cold demeanor disappeared again, replaced by that dark smile from before. "Let me ask you something…do you fear the dark?"

Aremu puffed up his chest slightly. "Of course I don't! Only children and fools fear the dark! It's nothing to be afraid of!"

Eri swept her hand across the top of her disk, collecting all three of her monster cards. Placing them on top of her deck, she took a card from her hand and slapped it onto the disk. All around them, everything began to grow smoky as dark clouds covered the field. "That's because children and fools know that the darkness holds things that are beyond your comprehension."

The demoness sneered as the haze grew thicker and thicker. "Now you will learn that first-hand. No one gets away with calling me dear or sweetie." Her face twisted into an angry snarl, revealing her fangs fully. "NO ONE! Come to me, Behemoth of the Night! Crush this insolent little worm!"

A hulking form emerged from the darkness, black flames leaping along its bulging black-skinned muscles. It towered over everything else on the field, standing 30' tall. Releasing one echoing roar, the monster opened its squinted blood-red eyes and lowered its maw of razor sharp teeth towards the boy. (3500/3000)

Aremu's eyes widened hugely and took a couple of steps back to attempt to get some distance between himself and the monster. "What is that thing!?"

From behind the Behemoth of the Night, Eri glared at Aremu. "Thing!? The only 'thing' I see here is you." She lifted up her hand to the Behemoth, and it lowered its head down enough for her to pat it on top of its skull.

Gulping at the death glare directed his way, Aremu corrected himself. "What is 'he'?"

Eri snickered at the fear she could smell radiating off of her opponent in waves. "He is a mighty titan of the demon realm." She removed her hand from the Behemoth's head and it lifted itself back into position on her monster field. "And his special ability is quite useful. First off, I take the three monsters sacrificed for him and shuffle them into my deck." She popped her deck free and shuffled it a couple of times before replacing it.

"When my Behemoth of the Night is tribute summoned to the field, I first shuffle the three monsters tributed to it into my deck. Then I draw cards off the top of my deck until I reach a monster, which I special summon to the field. I do this twice." She started to draw cards off the top of her deck until she had two monster cards in her hand. After placing the rest of the drawn cards into her graveyard, the demoness slapped both of the monsters onto her disk.

The first creature summoned looked like a skeleton wearing a suit of armor. "I summon Skull Knight (1000/1200) in attack mode."

The second creature summoned looked like a skeleton wearing brown monk's robes and wielding a wooden staff. "My second monster is Dead Cregit Mage (1700/1200) in attack mode."

Aremu stared at the two realistic looking monsters that watched him with their dead eyes. "I….I'm not afraid of them!"

"You will be quite afraid of them in but a few seconds." Eri lifted her hand ominously to point at Aremu's trapped Cerberus. "Behemoth of the Night, attack his monster! Grasping Claw of Night!" The titan stretched its claw across the field slowly, lines of drool running down its chin as it got ready to devour the twin-headed monster.

Aremu's fear melted away, and he smirked. "You're really easy to fool. Reverse card open!" His face-down card flipped up. "Emergency Provisions allows me to sacrifice magic and trap cards on my field to gain 1000 life points per sacrificed card. Now, if I sacrifice my own Spell-binding Circle then not only do I gain life points but I also get to blow away your monster!"

The glowing hexagram around the body of the Cerberus shuddered and exploded, its attack points returning to normal. (4100/3500) Letting out a single howl, the demon dog released a wave of orange-red flame that quickly barbecued the Behemoth of the Night.

Eri- 3400

Aremu- 5000

As the burned husk of her monster crashed down around her, Eri's glare had reached an intensity that could probably kill most people who weren't ready for it. Just as quickly as her rage was there, it was gone. "Death Cregit Mage, attack his Devil Bomb now." The monster charged across the field and struck the goblin senseless with one blow from its staff.

Eri- 3400

Aremu- 3500

Laughter rang across the stadium, shattering the intense silence that had come from the destruction of Eri's Behemoth. "You think that a bit of damage affects me!?" Aremu thumbed to his Cerberus. "Next turn, I'm going to attack your Skull Knight and wipe out a huge portion of your life points." His smirk was back in full force and then some. Now he had the upper hand in this battle.

Eri slid a card from her hand into her duel disk. "I activate the magic card Nightmare Steel Cage." A jet-black steel cage appeared around Aremu's field. "This will prevent both of us from attacking for two turns. End turn."

Aremu drew and placed a card face-down onto his duel disk. "I set one monster face-down on my field. End turn." His Cerberus growled angrily at the cage and slammed into the steel a couple of times, frantic to get free.

Eri drew. "I set one monster face-down on my field and I'll switch both of my monsters into defense mode." The two monsters fell to one knee, lifting their respective weapons up in front of them defensively. "End turn."

Aremu drew and, smirk still in place, slid the card he was holding into his disk. "I activate Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying your Nightmare Steel Cage and allowing me to attack." A sharp wind blew across the field and the steel cage around him shuddered and collapsed into little flakes of rust. "Now Cerberus, attack her face-down monster!" The double-headed dog sprayed the demoness' field with flames.

Eri, her expression unreadable, lifted up the monster card. "You've attacked another of my Bone Sorcerers." She removed her deck from its slot on her disk and shuffled the Bone Sorcerer card into it. Then she drew the top card and placed it onto her disk. A familiar black-cloaked form appeared on her field. "My Necro Master returns to me. Meaning that all of my demon sub-type monsters gain 300 attack points." The Skull Knight glowed as its attack total increased. (1300/1200)

Aremu frowned at the sight of that particular monster back on the field. "I'm done, so you're up Ice Queen."

Eri drew and without hesitation took a card from her hand and slid it into her disk. "I'm tired of playing with you. I activate the magic card that I've been holding since turn one. Activate Black Lightning!" She discarded another card from her hand into her graveyard. "The special ability of this magic card lets me discard a demon from my hand to destroy one creature under your control. Also, you will lose half of that creature's original attack points in damage."

A black blast of lightning fell from the sky and blew the Cerberus apart. Another arc of energy leapt from the first and slammed into Aremu's chest, dropping him to his knees. Wisps of black smoke rose from his form. "You…dog-eared…" His insult caught in his throat, the pain from the lightning bolt to fresh in his body.

Eri- 3400

Aremu- 2200

Eri's calm eyes shimmered a crimson red. "Dog…" She snarled and angrily motioned to her Necro Master. "You dare to call me a dog!? Necro Master, activate your special ability and deal him 100 life points of damage for every level star that his monster had!" The dark-cloaked form lifted one skeletal hand and released a wave of lightning energy that slammed into Aremu, sending more electricity arching along his body.

Eri- 3400

Aremu- 1600

Eri slammed the last card in her hand onto her duel disk. "Don't think that you are getting away so easily either! I summon Twisted Fiend (1900/700) in attack mode!" A warped black lizard monster appeared on her field. "His special ability drains 300 life points from both of us when it hits the field!" The creature spun around and bit down on her arm. Throughout it she didn't flinch away at all.

Eri- 3100

Aremu- 1600

"And now it's your turn to pay the blood price of my monster! Attack!" The lizard beast ran across the field and snapped its jaws around Aremu's shoulder. His face twisted in pain, and he tried as hard as he could to squirm away.

Eri- 3100

Aremu- 1300

The lizard returned to Eri's field, apparently sated enough that it was ready to attack.

The demoness' expression was such a strange mix of angry and cold that everyone who had been looking upon it shivered. "Now suffer, worm!" Her Twisted Fiend charged across the field and slashed through the face-down monster.

From next to her, the Necro Master reached out with its hand and released another explosion of black lightning. Aremu screamed in pain and crashed to his knees, smoke rising from his body in small clouds now.

Eri- 3100

Aremu- 900

The boy was cowering now, his body curled into a little ball. "I'm sorry! I surrender…I surrender!"

Eri flicked her gaze over to her Death Cregit Mage, which she had switched into attack mode. "I don't accept surrender. Death Cregit Mage, direct attack!" The skeleton launched across the field and slammed its staff down on Aremu's skull, knocking him unconscious.

Eri- 3100

Aremu- 0

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Ichigo was about seven different shades of white now. ("…………………………….") He turned and numbly walked over a nearby wall, where he bashed his skull into the stone a couple of times. ("What have I gotten myself into!?")

From his seat in the stands, Hitokage smiled slightly. Watching Eri was like watching poetry in motion. ("She's definitely worthy of Obelisk Blue. Now the question is, can Pilkington defeat her?")

_To be continued…_

Author's Notes:

To Adriel: No, you can only get promoted through another test. Though I believe the headmaster can make those exceptions to the rule.

To Seeker of the Soul: Yeah, fair enough. I don't like to make my duels too long, because casual readers can get confused if they aren't paying full attention to the story.

To The Obsessive Zero Fan: Yes, I got your characters. If I can find a place to put them, I will.

To omegadragon: Judia? ::Rolls eyes:: Yuki Judai will most likely not be in this story because I don't know a lot about him. I don't even have a general idea of the time period in which GX happens.

To VoidTemplar: Eric might be appearing again later, I'm not really sure yet.

To gohan11: Be patient, I wouldn't forget Rikuo or Jasmine.

To Darkstar71: Follow the GX storyline? Not likely. I don't like having to follow any kind of guidelines when I write my stories. I prefer free-range control over what happens.

To Anime Albino: Try thinking about your character a little bit and filling in all of those gaps that were there. I'm not in any hurry to get the characters, so take your time.

To a neo okami named Wolfy: Another doubtful on that one. I'm not going to introduce any kids of the Yugioh characters for the same reason that I'm not introducing any GX characters.


	6. Ichigo fights the storm

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 6: Ichigo fights the storm

Midas King slammed his fist into the table in front of him. ("Pilkington beat his last two opponents!") If there was one thing that he couldn't tolerate, it would be that Ichigo Pilkington would be the winner of this tournament. ("And I know just how to do take him down too.")

Picking up the roster for the next match, the instructor made a couple of little adjustments. As soon as he was finished he sneered down at Ichigo, who was congratulating himself on his second victory in the Opening Day Tournament. ("Now, not only are you going against a member of Obelisk Blue, but you're up right now. Without having a rest period, you'll be tired and unable to duel properly.") His hand curled around the microphone slowly, as he announced the next round.

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"Will Ichigo Pilkington of the Osiris Red dorm and Jonathan Nemo of Obelisk Blue please come to the dueling arena. You're up next." Midas' voice sounded falsely sweet.

Ichigo grimaced, immediately understanding King's game. ("So you wanna try and tip the scales out of my favor?") His grimaced faded into a smile. "Bring it on." Grabbing his deck, he shuffled it quickly and then replaced it in his duel disk. ("This is the top eight, which means that I'm just two matches away from the finals!")

His opponent arrived shortly to the field, wearing the blue uniform of all upper classmen. He had light blue hair that was tied in a pony-tail and a pair of aquamarine-colored eyes. "So, you're the guy who defeated Professor King?"

Ichigo smirked and turned his duel disk back on. "That's right, what of it?"

John returned the smirk. "I just wanted to know so that I could wish you good luck. You're going to need it in this duel." His disk beeped as it turned on. "Ready?"

Ichigo nodded. "Oh yeah, let's get this show on the road!"

Ichigo- 4000

John- 4000

John drew his starting five. "I'll allow you to choose who goes first."

Ichigo drew his five, though he didn't look at them yet. "You wouldn't mind starting us off, would you?"

The blue-haired duelist smiled and shook his head. "I don't mind at all." He drew and took a card from one end of his hand, placing it face-down on his duel disk. "I set a monster face-down in defense mode. End turn."

Ichigo frowned at the single card on his opponent's field. ("Wow…how boring. Maybe I can spice things up a bit.") "Alright…draw!" He snapped the top card off of his deck and fanned the cards out in front of him. "I'll start with this, the magic card Pot of Greed. Which means that I draw two cards from my deck." He slid two more cards off of his deck and added them to his hand. "I'll start with Cyber Shadow-Blademaster (2000/1600) in attack mode!" A dual-sword wielding black body-suited warrior appeared on his field. "Attack his face-down monster now!"

John shook his head sadly. "That was a bad start for you." The warrior launched across the field and slashed the monster apart. As the pieces of the card rained down over its head, it faded away.

Ichigo blinked in surprise at his MIA monster. "Where'd he go?"

"It's simple. Your monster attacked my Gale Lizard (1400/700) which when flipped up sends one monster on the field back to its owner's hand." John tapped his forehead teasingly. "You should think about what you do before you do it."

Gritting his teeth, Ichigo took the monster card off of his disk and placed it back into his hand. ("Fine…you want to play for real?") A card from his hand found its way into his disk. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

John drew, calmly looking at the card before adding it to his hand. "I end my turn."

The entire stadium, Ichigo included, face-fell.

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From his spot on the floor, Griff couldn't believe what he had just heard. "He ended his turn without playing anything!? And he was holding six cards!?"

Krieger got back into his seat and frowned, watching John's stance appraisingly. ("He must have a plan…I doubt his deck gave him a hand so bad that he couldn't do anything at all with it.")

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Eri smiled calmly from her seat, watching the duel on one of the screens in the waiting area. ("So, Professor Midas changed your opponent to John? That's bad news for you. Let's see you win against his strategy.")

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Ichigo couldn't believe his luck! ("He can't play anything! I've got this entire duel in the bag now!") "Draw!" He snapped a card off of his deck and added it to his hand. "I think Cyber Shadow-Blademaster wants to have a couple of words with you. So I'll just summon him to the field in attack mode!" The dual-sword wielding monster appeared on the field again. "Direct attack!" It launched across the field and slammed its weapon down onto John's shoulders.

The Obelisk Blue duelist didn't even flinch.

Ichigo- 4000

John- 2000

The half-demon flashed a victory sign to everyone in the audience, and then winked to John. "End turn."

John brushed off his shoulders and drew. "That was the last attack you're going to get off on me." He slid a card from his hand into the graveyard and then slid another into his duel disk. "I activate the magic card Spin! By discarding one card from my hand, I can send one creature on the field back to the top of its owner's deck!" The Blademaster faded away. "So if you please?"

Ichigo grimaced and placed his monster back on top of his deck. "Happy?"

"Not yet." John slid another card from his hand into his duel disk. "Now I activate the magic card Stasis Manipulation. I can only play this card when I have no cards on my field. Upon activation, your entire hand is shuffled into your deck and you draw an equal number of cards."

Ichigo proceeded to do so, though he didn't understand what purpose a card like that served. "Why would you give me a new hand?"

"Because of the secondary effect of Stasis Manipulation. When you draw the cards, you must discard any monsters amongst them." John smirked. "So let's see what you drew, shall we?" He walked over and stood next to Ichigo, arms crossed across his chest. "Well, let's see them."

Ichigo snarled and held up his new six card hand.

After making sure that he remembered all of the cards his opponent held, he pointed to two of them. "Now discard the monsters, and we can continue." He walked back to his field, while Ichigo slid the two monsters into his graveyard. Spinning around, John placed one card face-down on his disk. "I set one monster down and end my turn."

Ichigo took a deep breath and then looked down at his deck. ("Please be a monster…please be a monster.") "Draw!" He drew and glanced at the card, a slight smile on his face. "Well John, it looks like your efforts were a waste of time. I'm about to show you that I don't lose!"

He slid a card from his hand into his disk. "First I'll activate the magic card Reinforcements of the Army, letting me search my deck for any level four warrior!" He popped his deck free and looked through it, before taking a card and adding it to his hand. "I searched for Cyber Shadow-Assassin. (1000/1000) That spells trouble for you!"

John frowned slightly. He knew exactly what his opponent was holding, and he didn't like it one bit.

Ichigo snickered and slid a card from his hand into his duel disk. "Go Polymerization! This will fuse Cyber Shadow-Assassin and Cyber Shadow-Soldier (1600/1600) together to create Special Operative-Snake!" (2000/1800) A monster wearing a tight black bodysuit pulled over its muscular frame and a black bandana wrapped around its forehead that fluttered on an invisible wind. "My favorite card…and he's about to rip down whatever you set face-down!"

John shrugged his shoulders slightly. "You're not going to touch my life points this turn, and that is what is important."

Ichigo waved his finger in the air. "Tsk tsk, you got a look at what I was holding in my hand." He took one of his two remaining cards and inserted it into his duel disk. "Activate Monster Reborn on Cyber Shadow-Soldier!" There was a flash of light next to Snake and a medium-sized warrior in a black body-suit appeared. "Attack his face-down monster, Soldier!" The warrior released a wave of energy from its palm that blew apart John's face-down monster. "Now attack his…"

"Hold on a second!" John held up the destroyed monster card and flipped it over. "This is my Spell Serpent (500/500) and when it is destroyed in battle I may play a magic card from my hand." He discarded the monster and slid a card from his remaining three into his disk. "So take a taste of this, Hell Blast activate! This magic card can only be activated when I have no monsters in play, and it will balance that out by destroying all of your monsters. As an added bonus, you'll lose half of their attack points in life!" The ground around Ichigo's field was consumed in a torrent of fire.

Ichigo- 2200

John- 2000

Ichigo clenched his fist at this unexpected development. "End turn."

John drew. "You shouldn't have made your moves so predictable. Now you'll pay for it." He slid a card into his disk. "First though, I'll use the magic card Giant Trunade to return all magic and trap cards on the field back to their owner's hands." A huge wind launched across the field and Ichigo's face-down card disappeared. "You're about to lose. For now I summon Revival Jam (1500/500) to the field in attack mode." A blob of blue slime appeared on his field. "Attack his life points!" It launched across the field and slammed right into the half-demon's chest, sending him sliding backwards a few feet.

Ichigo- 700

John- 2000

John laughed calmly. "You're way to easy to defeat. End turn."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes and slowly drew his next card. "I'm going to knock you for a loop, jerk. Draw!" He slapped the drawn card onto his duel disk. "I summon Cyber Shadow-Sentinel!" (1500/1300) A silver-colored hovering robot appeared on his field. "And then I set one card face-down. End turn."

John drew. "Fool, you think I'm afraid? I can just suicide Revival Jam into your monster and then when it comes back I'll attack again, meaning this duel is over! Revival Jam, attack his Sentinel!" The blob sprayed itself across the field towards Ichigo's monster.

The half-demon winked to his opponent and motioned to his face-down card. "It's a shame that you think I bluff. Reverse card open! Activate the continuous trap card Defense Network!" A web of laser beams slashed the ground between their fields. "This trap can only remain in play as long as a certain Cyber Shadow monster is in play, and luckily for me Sentinel is one of those monsters. By using this trap cards effect, I can discard one card from my hand to destroy one attacking monster of yours!"

John's eyes widened in surprise as the lasers snapped through his Revival Jam, blowing it apart. "And since it was destroyed by a trap effect, it won't come back." He quickly recovered from his surprise and threw down his next card. "However, that won't help you against Stasis Beast (1500/1000) in attack mode." A beast made of blue crystal appeared on the field. "When its special ability activates, your monster will be removed from play at the end of my turn. Of course, Stasis Beast removes itself as well." There was a flash of crystalline light and both monsters faded away.

Ichigo frowned as his Defense Network trap card was destroyed because he no longer had Sentinel on the field. ("Damn it…")

John slid the final card in his hand into his disk. "Activate the magic card Water of Life. Now I can revive one monster from my graveyard of the water attribute. The only stipulation is that it cannot attack." There was a flash of blue light and his Revival Jam reappeared on the field in defense mode. "End turn."

Ichigo took a deep breath. With only 700 life points remaining he was a step from losing. If he didn't get something usable in this draw, then he was done. "My turn…draw!" He snapped the top card off of his deck and glanced at it. "I set this card face-down on my field. End turn." A holographic projection of the card appeared in front of him.

John rolled his eyes and drew. He glanced at the card and smirked coldly. "You're on a losing path." He snapped the card around. "I activate the ritual magic card Living Ocean." His Revival Jam faded away and was replaced by blue-armored knight. "This is my Ocean Knight. (2000/1400) As long as he is in play, all water attribute monsters gain 300 attack points." (2300/1400) "Now feel the pain! Direct attack!" The warrior launched across the field, a trident made of ice appearing in its hand.

Ichigo motioned to his face-down card. "You won't be attacking me this turn! Reverse card open, Draining Shield!" A green barrier of light sprang up in front of him, stopping the Ocean Knight cold. "This trap negates your attack and gives me life points equal to the attack of the negated monster."

Ichigo- 3000

John- 2000

John snorted derisively. "That's the best you have to save yourself with? Pitiful. End turn."

Ichigo drew. ("I'm going to have to use every trick in the book to win this duel.") "I set one monster in face-down defense mode and end my turn."

John drew. "What's the matter, are your little spies all out of moves?" He glanced at the card and sneered. "Well, my deck doesn't seem to be running out of steam, unlike yours. I activate the magic card Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two cards."

Two cards were slid off of his deck, and then one was slid into his disk. "I plat the continuous magic card Recycle. As long as this is in play, I may pay 300 life points to select one magic or trap card in my graveyard and place it on the bottom of my deck."

"Now Ocean Knight, attack his face-down monster!" The knight launched across the field and pierced the face-down monster with its trident. "End turn."

Ichigo felt the pressure building in this duel. He only had enough life points to survive one hit from John's Ocean Knight. ("So I need something other than a defender. Please!!!") He closed his eyes and drew, holding the card up to his face. Slowly, he opened his eyes to be greeted by…. ("My most powerful card…") "It's over…I've won."

Gasps of surprise came from the audience at this announcement. John just chuckled and pointed at his Ocean Knight. "Don't tell me, tell him."

Ichigo had gone cold, his expression so calm that everyone went silent. He stood quietly for a few seconds, and then slapped the monster onto his disk. "I summon a machine…not just any machine, but a machine with the power to destroy it all. In the end only it will be standing on this field, and your life points will be gone completely."

A towering steel form appeared on his field. It had to be at least 40' tall. The summoned creature looked like a giant bipedal robot which was built to resemble a Tyrannosaurus Rex. On its back were a pair of huge metal cylinders, each one just as smooth and silvery as their carrier.

From at the base of the creature's feet, Ichigo calmly spoke amidst the metallic roars of his monster. "I summon Steel Titan-Rex to the field. (2800/2000) When it is the only card in my hand and I have no cards on my field, I may special summon it without needing to tribute any creature's to it. This isn't without a downside though."

He reached down to his deck. "I must draw from my deck until I pulled two monster cards. Then I take damage equal to the compound attack of those creatures. Afterwards, all of those cards are sent to the graveyard." He started to draw. Five cards later he had his two monsters. "The two creatures are Cyber Shadow-Psychic (1500/1200) and Cyber Shadow-Intelligence Operative." (1200/600) Lightning crackled along his form as he lost 2700 life points.

Ichigo- 300

John- 2000

John gritted his teeth angrily. ("That was so close! If only he had drawn something with more attack points.")

Rex roared and slammed one huge metal foot into the ground, the entire stadium shaking from the blow. Its other foot slammed down a small distance away. The huge metal monster seemed to be bracing itself for something.

Ichigo cleared his throat. "Now then, it's time to end this. So I activate the special ability of Rex. Nuclear Strike!" The two metal canisters on Rex's back opened, revealing a pair of huge missiles. "When Steel Titan-Rex is summoned to the field, all cards on the field excluding itself are completely annihilated." He placed his hands on top of his head, pinning his ears shut to his skull.

John watched in horror as the two missiles launched into air, and then arched to come slamming down into the middle of the arena. There was a huge explosion that threw everyone in the audience back into their seat, and shook the whole structure of the stadium.

From up in his seat, Midas King watched wide-eyed as a glass window near his seat shattered.

Daniel had already taken shelter underneath his seat.

As the explosion ended, John tried to clear the ringing noise out of his ears. No matter how hard he tried though, he couldn't get his hearing back. It didn't matter though, because what Ichigo was saying was all too easy to understand.

"Steel Titan-Rex, direct attack! Gatling Destruction!" A hatch opened up on Rex's side and a huge gatling gun slid out. It took aim at John and unleashed a wave of fire-power that pummeled the Obelisk Blue duelist senseless.

Ichigo- 300

John- 0

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Eri crossed her arms across her chest and smiled calmly. ("Good, he's better than I had even hoped. So, just one more duel for you then, and then it's on to me.") She sneered coldly. ("Then your progress ends.")

_To be continued…_

Author's Notes: Alright, go and read two stories now. The first is Shadowed Light of my Heart, which is by Seeker of the Soul. He's a great writer, and also the guy who inspired me to make DDL. Shadowed Light of my Heart might be confusing unless you read What Was, What Is, and What Shall Be. They're both really good, if you take the time to sit down and read them.

The other story is also by Seeker of the Soul, and it is The Duel That Spans Dimensions. It's a one-shot duel between Rikuo and the main character of Seeker's stories, Daisuke Ihachi.


	7. Eri vs Adriel

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 7:Eri vs. Adriel

Midas King frowned and glanced at the roster. As since the hundredth time he had checked, Ichigo Pilkington had made it to the finals. After defeating Jonathan Nemo, the half-demon's next opponent had been child's play. All that was left was to determine who his opponent was going to be.

Then Midas noticed the names of the two duelists. He rubbed at his beard with one hand, gears moving in his brain as he calculated the chances of the two. ("According to rumors, both of them have an agenda against Pilkington. So now it all comes to who is the better duelist.") He turned on the microphone and spoke into it.

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"All hail the conquering hero!" Griff threw his arm over Ichigo's shoulders proudly. "You just made a lot of members of Osiris Red and Ra Yellow happy when you took down Nemo. He was definitely not a nice guy. And many oppressed duelists in the world would like to thank you for putting him in his place."

The inside of Ichigo's ears turned a bright red. "It's not that big of a deal. I just beat him in a duel, that's all."

Krieger smiled and looked up at the screen that hung above the waiting zone. "It looks like Eri's duel is about to start." He didn't really attach any emotion to the sentence. At the moment his feelings on Eri were strange. They weren't bad, but they weren't good either.

Griff looked up at the screen and blinked in surprise. "Wow…battle of the upper classmen. And not just any of the upper classmen either. Eri vs…."

Ichigo had looked at the screen as well, and he finished the sentence for Griff. "Adriel Zaytel?" His voice was tinged with surprise.

Griff grinned evilly. "I guess it doesn't matter who you go against in the finals. Either way, you're gonna get to chock another Obelisk Blue defeat up on your belt."

Ichigo smirked at the sight of the spiky-haired blue-eyed duelist from the airplane. "So, that guy's a member of the upper crust here, huh?"

Griff nodded. "Most of the Duelist Elite just keep to themselves and their peers, but Adriel one of those guys who makes sure that all of the lower class around him suffers. He a notorious card hunter and no one can do anything about it because of the money his mother apparently invested into the school."

Ichigo decided that he would keep the fact that he had already beaten Adriel once a secret for now. ("I'll save it for another time. I don't think Griff would believe me anyway.")

Out of the blue, the half-demon remembered something that he had wanted to deal with when he had the chance. Stepping forward, he placed a hand on Krieger's shoulder. "Hey man, can I talk to you for a second?"

The other half-demon turned around and nodded, albeit a bit meekly. "Sure…"

Griff took that as his cue to get back to his seat.

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"It's been a while since we have met on the field of battle, Erika." Adriel gave a shallow bow to his opponent. "You're looking as lovely as ever, of course."

The demoness narrowed her eyes and turned on her duel disk. "Save your false niceties for someone who cares, Adriel. Are you still taking cards from all of the freshmen, like you always do every year?"

The boy tapped a button on his duel coat, activating it. Unlike most duel coats, Adriel's had been specially built for him. Along its surface were numerous intricate designs of dragons in flight and the dueling field were shaped like the extended wing of a dragon. "Come now, don't be nasty. What did I ever do to you?"

A low growl rumbled out of Eri's throat, and she flexed her claws slowly. "Nothing particularly," she snarled out. "Just the fact that you breathe sickens me."

Adriel frowned and waved his finger in the air disapprovingly. "That's not a very lady-like way for you to act. I think that you might be better off going and brushing up on how to be nicer." He threw her a conspiratorial wink. "It'll help you land a guy. As of late, most of the boys here dodge you like the plague."

"Then I must be doing something right," Eri muttered under her breath, before drawing her opening five cards. "I'm first." She drew.

Eri- 4000

Adriel- 4000

The demoness slid a card into her duel disk. "First I set a card face-down on my field." Another card landed on the top of her disk. "And I'll set one monster as well. End turn."

Adriel drew his six cards in one swift motion. "Hmm, starting off on the defensive? I suppose that's a normal move for you." He grabbed a card and flipped it over for her to see. "First the magic card Heavy Storm, destroying whatever carefully laid plan you had." A huge storm of wind blew across the field and shattered Eri's face-down card.

A black-scaled dragon appeared on his field in a crouching position. "Then I'll summon Pitch-dark Dragon (900/600) in defense mode. I'll also set one card on the field. End turn." A holographic face-down card appeared behind the dragon.

Eri drew. "You think to trick me with your trap card? I'm not as stupid as you would wish I was, fool." She placed a card on her disk. "I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Adriel drew. "Well if you don't want to go on the offensive, then I will." The dragon stood up from its crouching position. "I switch Pitch-dark Dragon into attack mode. And then I'll play a magic card called Wings of Darkness, which will allow one dragon monster on my field with 1000 or less attack points to attack you directly!" His monster flapped its wings a couple of times, the organs expanding in size rapidly until they looked ridiculously huge for such a small dragon. "Direct attack!" The Pitch-dark Dragon launched across the field and slammed its claws into Eri, sending her skidding backwards.

Eri- 3100

Adriel- 4000

The spiky-haired duelist crossed his arms across his chest. "I end my turn."

Frowning, Eri drew. ("He's trying to force me to attack his dragon. If I don't, it will just hit me again and again until I lose.") Then she looked at the card she had drawn. "You're a fool for thinking me so easy to manipulate." She slid the second monster she had played into her graveyard. "I sacrifice my face-down Sangan (1000/600) to summon Byser Shock (800/600) in attack mode!" A horrible torture machine appeared on her field. "I'm sure you know what that does, right?"

Adriel grimaced. "It sends all set cards on the field back to their owner's hands."

She snickered and picked up her face-down monster card. "That's right, so your face-down card isn't a worry anymore."

Adriel threw back his head and laughed as he realized something. "You just summoned your Byser Shock to the field in attack mode. That means it will be easy prey for my dragon next turn."

Eri removed her deck from her duel disk. "Hold on, first I'm going to use Sangan's effect. When it is sent from the field to the graveyard I may search my deck for one monster with 1500 or less attack points and place it into my hand." Grasping a card from the stack in her hands, she placed it in her shirt pocket with the rest of her hand while she replaced her deck.

"Now that I'm done with that, I'll show you why I played Byser Shock in attack mode." She slid a card from her hand into her duel disk. "I activate the magic card Dark Soul Infusion!" The forms of both her and Adriel's monster became limed by an aura of darkness. Eri's Byser Shock shuddered and then started to creak and scream like its was a living creature.

Adriel looked horror-stricken at the sight of his dragon suddenly roaring in anger and slowly warping, its body turning into a twisted caricature of its original self. "What are you doing!?"

Eri snickered and pointed to the black aura surrounding their monsters. "I'm simply giving your monster a make-over. He's been infested with a powerful dark spirit that turns him into a demon sub-type monster, but that's not all its does. It will also drain him of 500 attack points." (400/600)

Adriel paled as he realized what that meant. ("She's going to destroy my creature with hers!")

The demoness slid another card from her hand into her disk. "I'm sure you think that I'm going to attack your Pitch-dark Dragon with my Byser Shock. Well you're wrong, at least partially so. I'm not attacking yet. First I'm giving my monster a little upgrade." A curved black blade appeared over her monster. "Activate Black Soul Sword. This will raise my creature's attack points by 1000 for every demon monster on the field. And since my Dark Soul Infusion card turned all creatures on the field into demons, that's 2000 extra points!" (2800/600)

Adriel grew ever paler. "Oh man…"

"Oh man is right, fool. Byser Shock, show him why I will not tolerate human fools who think themselves above me!" The torture machine didn't move, but the Black Soul Sword did. It launched across the field and slashed right through the Pitch-dark Dragon, then it returned to hovering above the Byser Shock. "End turn."

Eri- 3100

Adriel- 1600

Adriel drew, anger easily visible on his face. "I'll make you pay for turning my dragon into one of your sick fiends." He slid a card from his hand into his duel disk. "I play the magic card Premature Burial. At the cost of 800 life points I'm going to bring back Pitch-dark Dragon." There was a flash of light as the monster returned. "And this time, he's not a demon. Therefore your Byser Shock only has 1800 attack points, making it easy prey for the next monster I am going to summon."

Eri smiled calmly. "Come and get me, human."

Adriel threw down his next monster. "I summon Spear Dragon (1900/0) in attack mode!" A blue dragon with a tapered beak appeared on the field. "Attack her Byser Shock!" It opened its jaws and unleashed a spinning vortex of wind that blew the demoness' monster apart.

Eri- 3000

Adriel- 1600

"And now Pitch-dark Dragon will attack your life points directly!" The black-scaled slammed its claws into Eri again, sending her skidding back another couple of steps.

Eri- 2100

Adirel- 1600

The Spear Dragon curled its wings in on itself. "Now my Spear Dragon automatically goes to defense mode." Adriel slid two cards from his hand into his duel disk. "I'll end my turn by setting two cards face-down."

Eri drew. ("One of those must be the trap from before. So I can't risk attacking his Pitch-dark Dragon. That's fine, I'll just make sport of that Spear Dragon instead.") She slapped a monster onto her disk. "I summon Death Cregit Mage (1700/1200) in attack mode." A skeleton wielding a wooden staff and wearing brown monk robes appeared on the field. "Attack his Spear Dragon!"

Adriel snickered. ("You walked right into it.") "I activate my face-down trap card combo. The first trap card is Shift, which directs your attack to my Pitch-dark Dragon." The skeleton monster stopped just a few feet from the Spear Dragon and turned its gaze to the black-scaled dragon. A few seconds of silence passed, and then the Death Cregit Mage smacked the Pitch-dark Dragon on the head with its staff. The monster gave a pained grunt and exploded.

Eri shrugged. "Fine, so that means your life points are at zero."

"Is that what you think?" Adriel slid the last card in his hand into his graveyard slot. "That's where you're wrong. My other card is the trap known as Dragon Shackles. It requires I discard a card from my hand to activate it, but the effect is well worth the cost." The Death Cregit Mage shuddered and returned to Eri's field. Around its wrists and ankles was a pair of shackles made of black scales. "When your monster killed my dragon, I took no damage. Secondly, your monster now has zero attack points." (0/1200)

Eri gritted her teeth, already knowing what was coming next. She had no magic or trap cards in her hand to work with. "End turn."

Adriel drew. "Ah my sweet Eri, you're just too easy to defeat without your little head games. And don't try scaring me with your act, because I'm beyond that." His Spear Dragon spread its wings and roared. "Spear Dragon switches into attack mode and attack Death Cregit Mage!" It opened its jaws and fired another funnel of wind, tearing through Eri's monster instantly. "Good-bye Eri."

Eri- 2100

Adriel- 1600

The demoness folded her hand up and shuffled it into her deck. "I activate the special ability of Death Cregit Mage. When it is destroyed, I may shuffle my entire hand back into my deck to negate any damage to my life points."

Adriel shrugged innocently. "That's fine with me. Now your entire hand is gone."

"Not quite." Eri drew one card off of her deck. "One of the cards in my hand was a monster named Trapped Soul (500/500) and when it is shuffled into my deck from anywhere I may draw one card and play it immediately, if I can." She glanced at the card and slid it into her disk. "So I set this card face-down. Anything else you would like to do?"

Adriel grumbled angrily as his Spear Dragon went back into defense mode. "Yeah, I'm going to set one card face-down. End turn."

Eri drew and without hesitation slapped the card onto her disk. "I summon Bone Sorcerer (450/600) to the field in attack mode!" A pale old man in bone robes appeared on her field. "Attack the Spear Dragon. Skull Explosion!" The spellcaster hurled a skull across the field that slammed into the Spear Dragon's head. In one flash of black light the monster was gone. "End turn."

Adriel drew and slid the card into his duel disk. "All I can do is set this card face-down on my field and end my turn."

Eri drew and copied her opponent's action. "I set one card face-down. End turn."

Adriel couldn't figure out why she hadn't tried to attack. It wasn't like she had a lot to lose. ("Oh well…I won't argue.") He drew. "I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Eri drew and slapped the card onto her disk. "I summon Chaos Shaman (500/500) in attack mode!" A humanoid figure appeared on the field, its body hidden by black robes and its face concealed by a bone helmet. "And I'll end my turn. When I do, his special ability activates. I will now draw cards off the top of my deck until I come to a monster." She drew the top card and flipped it over. "Twisted Fiend (1900/700) now has half of its attack power drained from your life points." The Chaos Shaman raised its hands up and a wave of black energy shot across the field, slamming into Adriel's chest and sending him sliding backwards.

Eri- 2100

Adriel- 650

One of Eri's face-down cards flipped up. "I also activate the continuous trap card known as Wandering Souls. Now whenever a monster would go the graveyard, it gets shuffled into our deck instead." She took the Twisted Fiend card and shuffled it into her deck. "Alright, you're up."

Adriel drew and slid the card into his disk. "Activate Roar of the Dragon King!" His graveyard spat out a card, which he caught and slid into his back pocket. "I remove one dragon from my graveyard to send one monster on your field back into your deck. Take a wild guess which one I am choosing."

Eri already had shuffled her Chaos Shaman into her deck. "You're just delaying your defeat." She drew. "And since that was your draw, I assume you end your turn."

"That's right," Adriel said, his voice sounding low and menacing, as if he had something waiting for her.

Eri placed a card face-down on her disk. "I set one monster." Then the Bone Sorcerer fell to one knee. "I also switch my Bone Sorcerer into defense mode. End turn."

Adriel drew. "You're one turn away from defeat. Thanks to this." One of his face-down cards flipped up. "Call of the Haunted will revive my Spear Dragon." The form of Adriel's dragon returned to the field. "His stay won't be a long one though, because I'm sacrificing him and my face-down Sinister Serpent (300/250) to summon Tyrant Dragon!" (2900/2500) A huge red-scaled dragon appeared on his field. "This beast is one of the dragon lords, and his power will completely destroy you."

Eri looked up at the dragon, and then down at Adriel. "Do I look stupid to you?" She asked casually. "That thing will trigger my Bone Sorcerer's effect like any other monster would. Attacking me would risk bringing out one of the more deadly creatures in my deck."

"So you'd wish, but unfortunately for you I have my trap card!" Adriel motioned to remaining card, which flipped up. "This is known as Roar of the Dimension, which can only work if I have a level eight or higher monster on my field. It will remove all monsters on your field from the game, in exchange for me sacrificing my battle phase!" The Tyrant Dragon unleashed a wave of energy from its mouth that struck the two monsters on Eri's field, causing them both to fade away. "So I end my turn at that."

Eri glanced over at the entrance to Adriel's side of the arena, where a familiar form stood against the wall of the audience stands.

Ichigo casually sat back against the wall, waiting patiently to see who he was going to be facing. ("So…who's gonna win?")

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From up in the stands, Krieger had just returned to his seat next to Griff.

The bronze-skinned looked over at his roommate questioningly. "So what did the two of you talk about?"

Krieger smiled slightly. "It was just a discussion between half-demons, that's all."

Griff considered asking for more details, but decided that it might be best to just watch the duel. Now he really did want to see who was going to win.

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Daniel sat back in his chair and frowned down at the arena floor. ("Eri's in trouble. Tyrant Dragon is immune to most trap effects, so she needs to draw something that can give her the advantage.")

By the look in her eyes though, she knew that too. ("So Erika Amero, let's see if you can prove that you're really your father's daughter.") He knew all too well who the girl with the vendetta against his son was, and he found it strange that they didn't remember each other. ("Of course, they met when both of them were only five years old. Eleven years probably have blurred their memories of each other to nothing but faded images.")

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Eri drew. "Before I look at this card, I think it might be wise to tell you that I desire to battle Pilkington. And when I desire something, it gets done." She tilted the card enough so that she could see it. "I special summon Hellmare in attack mode." (1500/500) A blue horse made of phantom flames appeared on her field. "When I have no cards in my hand, I may special summon this creature to the field in attack mode. That triggers the secondary effect of my monster as well."

"Secondary effect?" Adriel narrowed his eyes. "What does it do?"

"When special summoned to the field through its effect, I draw two cards. If I do this though, then I lose 1500 life points." Eri braced herself as her monster sprayed her with flames.

Eri- 600

Adriel- 650

Adriel watched fearfully as Eri drew two cards from her deck. ("No…she can't…I'm supposed to destroy Pilkington.")

Eri slid one of the cards she was holding into her graveyard slot. "First I discard demon sub-type monster. Then I play this!" She slammed the other card into her discard. "Go Black Lightning!" A blast of dark-colored lightning slammed down from the sky and blew the Tyrant Dragon apart. "Now your monster has been destroyed and you lose life points equal to half its attack power!"

Adriel had almost no time to react before a bolt of black lightning arched from the one that had destroyed his monster and slammed into him.

Eri- 600

Adriel- 0

Eri snarled at her opponent. "Now get out of the way!" Every inch of her body spoke of impatience. "I want to fight Pilkington now!" Angrily, she removed her graveyard from her disk and mixed it with her deck.

Adriel slowly came to his feet, murder in his eyes. "You cheat…"

Ichigo hopped up onto the arena floor and stepped forward, shuffling his deck. "I'm ready if you are, Eri." His eyes betrayed the fact that he was still deathly afraid of her.

Adriel leapt up and grabbed the hem of Ichigo's shirt. "Now hold on…"

Both demons snapped their gaze to Adriel. "SCRAM!"

Clenching his fist, the spiky-haired duelist hopped off the arena and stomped away. ("I'll get them for this…I swear it.")

Eri shuffled up her deck and handed it to Ichigo. "If you please…"

Trying to ignore the fact that his hands were sweaty from nervousness, the half-demon shuffled his opponent's deck and then handed it her.

Eri walked back to her field. "I don't need to cut your deck, because I doubt an upstanding guy such as yourself would cheat." She spun around and turned on her duel disk. "And now it comes to this…I've looked forward to this day for the longest time, Ichigo Pilkington. I'm going to destroy you and take back the honor that your father stole from mine!"

"What?" Ichigo felt his hands trembling in fear. ("She's…gotta be out of her mind. I don't even know her.")

The demoness clenched her fist angrily. "And to think that you don't even recognize me, do you?" Her lip curled into a feral smile. "Well now I've got you right where I want you! Come forth, powers of darkness!"

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Daniel was already halfway out of his seat within the very second that Eri had started to call on a power he knew far too well. ("She's out of her damned mind! Who taught her to invoke darkness games!?") He leapt from his seat, intent on stopping this game before it ever started.

Then he tripped….

By the time he was up again, the black and purple sphere of a darkness game was where the two duelists had been but moments ago. "I'm too late…" Daniel fell to his knees, paralyzed with the thought of losing his son. ("Ichigo…you can't lose.")

_To be continued…_

Author's Notes: Thanks for all the reviews, and please review if you haven't. It's the fuel that feeds my creativity, and if you want the next chapter faster than review. Also, thank you to all those who have reviewed in the past, present and hopefully future.

To Bobbomp: No problem man.

To Anime Albino: Yes, if you could send me your character in an e-mail it would be appreciated.

To Seeker of the Soul: You're welcome. Here it comes, the battle between the children of Daniel and Rikuo.

To TheMysticWanderer: Wow…someone holds me in high regard. Um…thanks I guess.


	8. Sins of the Fathers?

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 8: 'Sins' of the fathers?

_Daniel was already halfway out of his seat within the very second that Eri had started to call on a power he knew far too well. ("She's out of her damned mind! Who taught her to invoke darkness games!?") He leapt from his seat, intent on stopping this game before it ever started._

_Then he tripped…._

_By the time he was up again, the black and purple sphere of a darkness game was where the two duelists had been but moments ago. "I'm too late…" Daniel fell to his knees, paralyzed with the thought of losing his son. ("Ichigo…you can't lose.")_

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Eri smiled coldly towards Ichigo, completely comfortable in the darkness that pulsed around them. "Are you ready to begin?"

Ichigo really wished he knew what was going on. "Where are we?"

Eri's face twisted into an angry scowl. "Don't screw with me! You know exactly where we are!"

He blinked a couple of times and scratched the back of his head. A few seconds passed in silence, and then he threw in, "Umm….no I don't."

"Are you telling me that your father never told you about the darkness games?" Eri dead-panned at him.

Ichigo shook his head. "What's a darkness game?"

"Since I'd like to get on with this game, I'll give you the short version. Think of it as a duel where when you lose, something happens to you," Ichigo could have sworn that Eri's cold smile got even colder, "something very bad…very bad indeed."

The half-demon shivered as a wave of cold air blew past him from an unknown source. "Why would you do something like that!? What did I ever do to you? I don't even know you!!!"

Eri narrowed her eyes slowly while she spoke. "Your father stole the honor of mine. Unfortunately, he made me promise never to challenge your father. So I'll take the next best thing and destroy you instead!"

"Alright, I think you're a little angry right now. Why don't you take a couple of deep breathes and think this over?" Ichigo felt more scared than ever of this girl. ("She's certifiable!")

Eri growled and drew his opening hand. "Don't speak to me as if I'm insane! I know exactly what I'm doing! And speaking of knowing what I am doing, I'll take the first turn." She drew and, in her anger, nearly cracked her disk plate with the force of the card she played. "First I'll summon Death Cregit Mage (1700/1200) in attack mode!" The skeletal form of her brown-robed undead spellcaster appeared on the field. Seconds later a brown-backed card appeared behind it. "Then I set one card face-down. End turn!"

Ichigo wiped a drop of sweat from his forehead. "Hang on a second…what's all this stuff you're spouting about my dad taking your dad's honor? Who's your dad!?"

Eri's angered glare faded enough to show a few hints of pride in that gaze. "Even an imbecile like you must have heard of Rikuo Amero."

Ichigo rubbed at his chin and looked up at the 'sky'. "Rikuo Amero? Amero….hmmm…" He started to pace back and forth, his eyes on the ground now.

Eri's right eye was twitching now. ("You must be joking…he doesn't even know who my father is!?") A threatening growl rumbled out of her throat. "Since the winner gets to determine the fate of the loser, I think I'll just turn you into something crushable. How about a cockroach?" Her voice was so deep that Ichigo could barely hear her words over the snarls that accompanied them.

"Um…yeah…." Ichigo wasn't really listening. ("Amero…Amero…")

Now both of Eri's eyes were twitching. "Forget it! Just duel!!!"

Ichigo glanced over at her casually. "Huh, what'd you say?"

"………." She growled so loudly that the darkness around them shuddered.

Ichigo decided that he might as well play this out. ("It doesn't look like I am leaving anyway.") He drew his hand off of his deck and then drew one card. "All right, here I go. Draw!" He held the card up and smiled slightly. ("Steel Titan-Rex…perfect for a back-up plan.") "First I play the magic card Reinforcements of the Army!" He removed his deck from his disk slot. "Now I'll search my deck for a four-star or below monster card, just as long as it's a warrior!"

After a few seconds his deck was back in his disk, and he had the warrior monster he needed to clinch the match for him. ("Cyber Shadow-Trainer can be a substitute when fusing any Special Operative monster. I'm set as long as I'm holding this baby.") "Now let me heat things up with this!" A hovering silver robot appeared on his field. "I summon Cyber Shadow-Sentinel (1500/1300) in defense mode!" A card appeared behind the monster. "Plus I'm gonna set one card face-down. Now do your worst, crazy lady."

Eri sneered at her opponent. "That's the best you can do? A hunk of steel and a bluff?" She snorted and drew. "It's a wonder that your father ever defeated mine." A skeletal horseman riding a demonic steed appeared next to her mage. "I summon Death Calibre Knight (1900/1800) in attack mode! And now Death Cregit Mage will crush your steel junk pile!" The undead monster bounded across the field, wielding its staff with the intent to destroy Ichigo's monster.

"It's not that easy to beat me!" Ichigo motioned to his face-down card. "I open my face-down trap card, Temporary Truce of Forces! This will send all monsters on the field back to their owner's hands!" All of the monsters faded off of the field.

Eri glared at the half-demon and picked up her two monster cards, adding them to her hand. "You think I'm impressed?"

Ichigo shook his head. "Doubt it…you're too full of your own personal vendetta to feel any emotion but hate, aren't you?" His question was evenly said, with no negative emotion attached to it.

To Eri though, it sounded like a mockery to her father's defeat. "I'm going to make you suffer before you lose this duel." She slid a card into her disk. "I set one card face-down and end my turn at that."

"Eri Amero, you're way too angry for your own good. Is this entire vendetta over my father beating yours in a duel? Draw!" Ichigo snapped the top card off of his deck and glanced at it. "Heh, you should take a hint from this card and lighten up a little." He slid the card into his duel disk. "Activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw two cards!" He snapped two cards off of his deck and added them to his hand.

Eri grimaced at the fact that she was being taken slightly. "I've had enough of your mocking. Are you ending your turn or not?"

"Of course not." Ichigo slapped down a card. "I'm summoning Cyber Shadow-Sentinel back to the field!" The machine reappeared in front of him. "Attack her life points directly!"

Eri's eyes flickered in the darkness, one of them becoming crimson while the other retained its golden shimmer. "The darkness is going to consume you, thanks to my face-down quickplay magic card. Activate Book of the Dead!" Her second face-down card flipped up and a black leather-bound book appeared in front of her.

"This allows me to draw cards off the top of my deck until I come to a monster, which is them special summoned to the field. The rest of the cards go to my graveyard." She started to draw off of her deck, while the book opened and started to flick through its pages. Her hand rested on the first card and she placed it onto her disk.

A demonic form appeared on her field just in time to get struck by the Sentinel. "My Demonic Converter (700/500) is now destroyed, but my life points are safe."

Ichigo smiled to her. "That was a really good play, Eri!"

Her glare intensified.

"Right…I'll just keep playing now." He slid a card into his duel disk, trying as hard as he could not to faint on the spot. ("She's so freaking intense. What's the deal with this vendetta? What could my dad have done to hers that was so bad?") "I'll set one card and end my turn."

"Let the darkness begin!" Eri snapped the top card off of her deck, the smile on her face insane. She glanced wildly at the card and then sneered. "It's time to begin the show! And who would make a better audience than my Death Calibre Knight?" The undead horseman reappeared on the field. "Attack his monster and cut away some of his life points!" Rearing back on its steed the knight charged, lifting its sword to cut through Ichigo's monster.

Until it slammed into a glowing barrier of green light. Ichigo motioned to his now face-up trap card. "You've activated my trap card, Draining Shield. This will increase my life points by the attack of your monster, as well as negate your creature's attack."

Ichigo- 5900

Eri- 4000

The demoness didn't seem particularly worried that he attack had been negated. "Now I set one card face-down on my field. Come and meet your fate, if you dare!"

Ichigo, still a bit pale, drew. "I'm gonna take that as an end turn, okay?" He glanced at the card and nodded resolutely. "I activate the magic card Heavy Storm." A holographic representation of the card appeared on his field. "This is going to destroy all of the magic and trap cards that you set."

"That's what you think!" Eri's insane smile got a little wider and she motioned to her first card, which had been face-down all of this time. "I activate the counter-trap card Magic Hunting Spirit! This will negate your magic card and, as an added bonus, you're going to lose one magic card from your hand at random!" A ghostly corpse-like form exploded out of the card and sailed across the field. It slammed into the Heavy Storm card and shattered it, following up with a flying body-slam into Ichigo. Though he was unharmed by its 'attack', one of his magic cards was missing from his hand.

("Well that sucked completely.") He took a card from his hand and slapped it onto his disk. "I summon Cyber Shadow-Trainer (300/1200) in defense mode." A grizzled old man in a black body-suit appeared on his field. "As long as he is out my Cyber Shadow monsters will gain 300 attack points!" (600/1200) (1800/1300) "End turn."

Eri threw back her head and laughed crazily. "Fool, you forget to switch your Sentinel into defense mode!"

Ichigo shivered despite himself, though he managed to hide the fear he felt beneath his belief that he was fighting for the right cause in this duel.

Eri's lips curled into dark smile. She licked her lips and drew. "Now the fun part begins." There was a flash of light and a familiar brown-robed form appeared on the field. "I re-summon Death Cregit Mage to the field. Now…watch your monsters die!" The two undead monsters on her field charged forwards and crushed both of his.

Ichigo smirked. "That's what you believe? Then look again." The Trainer was still on his field in defense mode. "Thanks to the effect of Sentinel, I can revive one Cyber Shadow that gets destroyed this turn. In case you were wondering, I don't take any damage from Sentinel's death anyway. So while I'm out one monster, all hope isn't lost yet."

The demoness' dark smile increased enough to fully reveal her fangs. "You're absolutely hilarious when you're hopeful. Maybe when I beat you I'll just spare you a bit of pain and wish for your death instead. How would that sound?"

Ichigo gritted his teeth as he was reminded of what rode on his win. ("If I lose, I'm at her mercy. And from the look in her eye, she doesn't seem particularly merciful right now.")

Eri slid a card into her duel disk. "I set one card face-down and I'll end my turn." She smiled again, looking for the entire world like a predator that had her prey in her sights.

Ichigo took a deep breath. "Draw!" He snapped the card off of his deck and glanced at it. "It's time to make a come-back. I summon Cyber Shadow-Psychic (1800/1200) in attack mode!" A woman in a black body-suit appeared on his field. "Attack her Death Cregit Mage now!"

Eri didn't even flinch when the Psychic unleashed a wave of white energy that blew her undead mage apart.

Ichigo- 5900

Eri- 3900

Ichigo slid two of his cards into his duel disk. "Plus I'm going to set these cards face-down on my field. End turn."

Eri shook her head to clear it of the small jolt of pain she had felt. Then she smiled darkly again. "I think that maybe I'll let you live. Perhaps I'll just seal away your demon blood and leave you a pitiful human?" She drew. "I sacrifice Death Calibre Knight to summon Necro Master!" (1500/1800) A black-robed monster appeared on her field, its crimson eyes glaring at Ichigo's two monsters.

"Now I'll give you a taste of pain, Pilkington!" She slid a card from her hand into her graveyard, and then held up another card from her hand. "So I discard demon sub-type monster from my hand to activate Black Lightning!" A bolt of dark lightning fell from the sky and blew Cyber Shadow-Psychic apart. "Thanks to the effect of my card not only is your monster destroyed, but you lose half of its attack points in life points." A smaller bolt arched from the large one and slammed right into Ichigo's chest.

Ichigo- 5000

Eri- 3900

The half-demon screamed in pain and fell to his knees. Arcs of lightning crackled along his skin, and wisps of smoke rose from his ears and mouth.

Eri whistled sharply. "You might want to look up."

Ichigo brought his now stinging eyes up and came face to face with Eri's Necro Master. The monster stood but a couple of feet from him. It chuckled in its rumbling voice and grabbed his throat with a bony hand. The half-demon didn't get a chance to react, because more black lightning arched along his body and sent him into another endless-seeming scream of pain.

From her side of the field, Eri licked her lips again at the delicious taste of Ichigo's cries. "As you should remember, as long as Necro Master is on the field then whenever you lose a monster then you lose 100 life points for every level of the destroyed creature."

Ichigo- 4600

Eri- 3900

The Necro Master chuckled coldly and released Ichigo from its grip, dropping his barely conscious form to the ground. It spun around and snapped out its cloak, the fabric taking on a razor-sharp edge as it slashed through Ichigo's Cyber Shadow-Trainer.

Eri nodded approvingly to her monster. "Exactly right, my dear spellcaster. Since your Trainer was a level three monster, then you lose 300 life points thanks to my Necro Master."

Ichigo barely stirred at the mention of another of his monsters dying.

The Necro Master placed its skeletal hand on the back of his neck, and the second its special ability activated Ichigo found all the strength necessary to scream.

Ichigo- 4300

Eri- 3900

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Daniel had managed to convince the other instructors and the headmaster that the darkness sphere was just a malfunction of the duel disk system, but that didn't help the fact that they were getting more and more suspicious. ("I need to figure out a way to save Ichigo. Or at least buy him some time.") He couldn't believe that he wasn't going to simply turn Eri in. ("I'm putting my neck on the line for Rikuo's daughter. Damn him and his lovable evilness. She's apparently got that trait of his down as well.")

"Hey Mr. Pilkington?" Griff asked from behind the half wolf-demon. "Is what you told the other instructors really true? Is this just some kind of duel disk malfunction?"

Daniel sighed and shook his head. "No…it's not. What you're looking at is something called a darkness game. Suffice to say, it's really bad." He looked back at the bronze-skinned boy and smiled slightly. "Just out of curiosity, are you the son of Achmed Mohistava?"

Griff blinked in surprise. "Yeah…that's me. How'd you know?"

Daniel sat back in his seat and looked out at the darkness sphere solemnly. "I met him once at a world tournament. He was a pretty strong duelist, if I remember his deck correctly. Gravekeepers, right?" Noticing Griff's nod, he smirked. "So, what deck do you play with?"

"I use the Dark Scorpion Burglars…" Griff blushed slightly at the fact that he was talking to a great duelist like Daniel Pilkington, the winner of a couple of world… ("Wait a second…") "Hey, you once played a guy named Rikuo Amero eleven years ago in the finals of a national tournament, right?"

Daniel blinked in surprise. "How do you know that?"

"Uhh…I guess you can just call me one of your fans." Griff rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

Daniel was only half listening though, because he was being propelled backwards into his memories as he recalled that particular tournament…it had been the last time he'd seen Rikuo in person…

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_Rikuo patted his friend on the back, feeling as proud as he had felt when his little Erika had been born. "Daniel, you've finally defeated me. Congratulations."_

_The two of them stood overlooking the final site of the tournament. A short distance away all of their friends and family stood around, talking of days gone by._

_Daniel smiled sadly and hugged his dark side tightly. "It was good seeing you again Rikuo. Of course, just because I defeated you doesn't mean that I've reached the top." He took a step back and smiled again, though this time it was a happy expression. "I still have to surpass every duelist on the planet, and whether you want to admit it or not there are people out there that far surpass you and me in skill."_

"_Keh! That's a load of crap and you know it." Rikuo didn't believe his own words, but his pride wouldn't let him accept the fact that there might be someone out there who was a better duelist than he was. "Besides, as a team we are the absolute best in the world."_

_Daniel held out his hand to his best friend. "No hard feelings, right?"_

_Rikuo thought about it for a couple of seconds, and then grasped the hand with his own. "Why would there be?"_

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("Apparently Erika didn't agree with her father.") Daniel looked over at Griff. "This is insane…"

"What is?" Griff looked confused now.

"The reason that Eri has so much animosity towards me. I'm betting that the only person to ever defeat her father in her lifetime was me. And to her honor…that's unacceptable." He sighed and rubbed his eyes with his hand. "I hate demon pride."

Krieger had been silent through most of this, but he had to speak up about something. "I have to ask you something, sir."

Daniel glanced over at the boy. "What's up?"

"I was…just wondering if…you were ever able to defeat my father."

Daniel chuckled quietly. "We never had the pleasure of dueling…did we?" The question was rhetorical, since only Siegfried could actually answer that. "I'll have to remedy that situation on parent's day."

_To be continued…_

Author's Notes: Thanks for reviewing, and don't worry, this will be a good duel.

To Seeker of the Soul: For whatever reason, Daniel is going to try and keep Eri from getting in trouble.

To Obsessive Zero Fan: The more experienced reader? --; Err….right.

To GryphinWyrm7: She's talking about what I just mentioned above.

To Hogwarts-Knight: Technically Daniel and Rikuo have so much difference in genetics (and basic outlook on life) that at best you could call them good friends now.

To falcon demon general: OO; Ummm….she is Rikuo's daughter though.


	9. It runs in the family

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 9: It runs in the family

Eri chuckled coldly from her side of the field. If there was one thing that would appease her anger, it was looking upon the now smoking body of Ichigo Pilkington. "You're not quite as good of a prize as your father would have been, but I suppose you'll do."

Ichigo didn't even seem conscious enough to respond.

But Eri wouldn't let that stop her from having some more 'fun'. "I activate my face-down trap card, Chain of the Underworld." A barbed chain launched from her now face-up trap card and burrowed into the ground. Seconds later, it pulled up the form of Ichigo's Cyber Shadow-Trainer.

"This trap card will revive one monster that I just destroyed, except that it will have 700 less attack points. The upside is that your monster cannot switch modes, meaning that next turn I'll tear through it with Necro Master and burn away another hunk of your life points." The chain shuddered and exploded, though its power remained on the field, keeping Cyber Shadow-Trainer weakened and unable to switch to defense. (0/1200)

"Of course with such a powerful card there must be a downside, right?" The demoness placed a hand on her hip. "There is in that it lets you draw one card, if you so choose. Of course since you are unconscious, you will most likely not do so."

"Who are you calling unconscious?" Ichigo slowly got to his feet. Every inch of him hurt, but he was half demon. That gave him enough endurance to hold out in this place without a problem. "And thanks for the free draw." He snapped a card off of his deck and added it to his single remaining one. "Now it's my turn!" He drew.

Eri grimaced at the sight of her opponent standing. ("He's stronger than I thought. That doesn't matter though, because he'll still lose like anyone else.")

Ichigo tiredly glanced at the field and smiled slightly at the irony of this situation. "In your lust to make me suffer, you've just opened the door to my recovery in this fight."

"What are you talking about?" Eri raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "What recovery can you make?"

"I can make this recovery! Reverse equipment magic card open!" The face-down card to his right flipped up. "Activate Special Operative Weapon-Stinger!" A futuristic rocket launcher appeared in the hands of the Cyber Shadow-Trainer. "This equipment magic card will give my monster the power needed to destroy yours!"

Eri threw back her head and laughed. "You need to brush up on your card effects. Chain of the Underworld prevents your monster from attacking as well."

"Oh, but it's not an attack! It's actually an effect." Ichigo pointed to the weapon, which the Trainer was aiming at Eri's Necro Master. "This card can only be used twice before it destroys itself. I'm only going to need it once though. With its effect, I can destroy one monster on the field with an attack strength that is 1500 or more than the attack of the equipped monster. And thanks to your Chain of the Underworld effect…" The Stinger whined and spat out a rocket, which shot across the field towards the Necro Master, "…that's exactly the needed difference between your monster and mine."

In one echoing explosion Eri stood alone on her field. And the demoness didn't look happy at all to have her trap card actually had helped her opponent. "I'm going to make you suffer horribly!"

Ichigo was done trying to be nice. "Ladies first! I summon Cyber Shadow-Soldier (1600/1600) in attack mode!" A warrior wearing a jet-black jumpsuit appeared on his field. "Attack her life points directly!"

Eri threw up her arms to protect herself, though when the beam of energy from Ichigo's monster hit her nothing could prepare her for the level of pain losing 1600 life points meant. Because of her mental training though, she avoided crying out in pain.

Ichigo- 4300

Eri- 2300

"Alright Eri, End turn." Ichigo felt a lot better now that he had paid her back for making his monsters suffer.

Eri ignored the wisps of smoke coming off of her body. She was too busy laughing insanely loud.

"I must have missed the joke, because I don't see any reason why you would be laughing right now." Ichigo had to smile slightly though, because it looked like she was lightening up finally.

The laughter stopped suddenly and Eri opened her eyes, amusement dancing within the now crimson-gold orbs. "I decided finally what I'm going to inflict upon you when this duel is over and I have won."

"Do tell," Ichigo said icily.

She sneered so coldly that Ichigo knew instantly that he had been wrong about her lightening up. "Well, you're certainly far too amusing for me tokill. Yet if I enforce some kind of restriction upon you, then you won't be as amusing anymore. So I've finally figured out my answer…" She fished something out of her back skirt pocket and threw it to him.

Reflexes kicked in and Ichigo snatched the item out of the air. He looked at it and he wasn't sure what to think. "A…leather collar?" Said restraint looked to be well-oiled and definitely high quality. "I'm not sure what is scarier; the implications behind this thing or the fact that you carry something like this on your person in the first place."

Eri drew. "I'd hope that you were smart enough to figure it out without my help…oh well." She shrugged innocently. "Let me put it in these terms. If you're a member of the Obelisk Blue dorm, you're allowed to have one pet per room. At first I thought the idea stupid and pointless, but now I see that it is actually pretty good." She licked her lips in that predatory manner once again. "I've always wanted a pet wolf."

Ichigo growled quietly and tossed the collar back to her. "Keep me out of your weirdo fantasies."

With remarkable ease the demoness caught the collar and placed it back into her skirt pocket. "I think it's a bit late for that. Anyway, I summon Chaos Shaman (500/500) in defense mode." A black-robed humanoid appeared on her field in a crouching position. "Then I play the magic card Shroud of Midnight." A black curtain fell across her monster, hiding it from view. "This magic card effect stays in play as long as I have a dark spellcaster on my side of the field. It will prevent all of your monsters from attacking."

"Now I'll end my turn and activate the special ability of my Chaos Shaman." She snapped three cards off of her deck and then stopped when she reached the fourth. Frowning, she flipped it over. "The monster card I drew was Sanctified Soul (100/100) and that means you're only going to lose a measly fifty life points." She took the four cards and shuffled them back into her deck. Meanwhile the Chaos Shaman lifted its finger and a little spark of black energy fluttered across the field to sting Ichigo on the cheek.

Ichigo- 4250

Eri- 2300

Ichigo wiped a thumb across the spot where the spark had hit. "My turn…draw!" He snapped the card off of his deck and added it to his hand. "And your downward spiral towards defeat begins here, Eri!" He slid his two monster cards into the graveyard. "Now I summon my ultimate beast!" His two Cyber Shadow agents disappeared off of the field. "Come out, Steel Titan-Rex!" (2800/2000) The titanic steel form of his most powerful monster began to appear on the field.

Until Eri flipped up her face-down card. "I'm not going to let you destroy all of my well-laid plans that easily! Reverse trap card activate, Bomb of Undeath!" A sphere made of smooth bone appeared on her field. "When this trap card activates, I can negate any summon! Also, you will lose 100 life points for every level of the 'summoned' monster!" The bone sphere shuddered and exploded, taking the phantasmal form of Rex with it.

Ichigo barely had time to brace himself before he was wracked with pain as the trap card tore his soul.

Ichigo- 3450

Eri- 2300

Eri sneered darkly at the pain etched on Ichigo's face. "This is so delicious…"

The half-demon was fairly sure that he was allowed to still summon a monster, so he had to spring his surprise card right now. "I activate my face-down magic card Warrior Returning Alive! This will let me take any warrior monster from my graveyard and place it into my hand." He reached into his graveyard and pulled out the monster card he wanted, slapping it immediately onto his duel disk. "I summon Cyber Shadow-Soldier back to the field in defense mode. End turn."

Eri drew with that dark smile still on her face. "You're the most fun I've had in a long while. And soon, you'll be able to entertain me every day, eh Ichi-chan?" She giggled in a way that might have been considered sweetly if Ichigo was in a good mood.

But at the moment he was sick and tired of being mocked. "If I do lose and get turned into your pet, you had better believe that I'm going to bite you every chance I get."

"Oh?" Eri threw him a wink. "It'll take some work, but I think I'll break that habit out of you. End turn." She drew the top card of her deck and flipped it over. "Sangan (1000/600) means that you lose 500 life points!" The Chaos Shaman unleashed a burst of black lightning that was much more powerful than the last.

Ichigo- 2950

Eri- 2300

Ichigo bit back his screams this time, anger fueling the strength that was giving him the endurance to resist this place. "Now it's my turn to cause some pain. Draw!" He drew the next card from his deck, hoping that it was something worth using. After giving the card a once over, he knew what he had to do. "I set two cards face-down and summon Cyber Shadow-Strongarm (1900/1300) to the field in attack mode." A huge humanoid monster in a black body-suit appeared on his field. "End turn."

Eri drew, glanced at the card, and placed it face-down on her disk. "I set one monster face-down and end my turn." She drew five cards this time until she came to a monster. "This time it's Byser Shock (800/600) and that only means you lose 400 points. How lucky…"

Ichigo- 2550

Eri- 2300

Ichigo didn't think he was so lucky, considering that the bolt of lightning which slammed into him hurt all the same. "My turn," he gasped out, "draw!" Glancing at the card, he grinned despite the pain he felt. "This is what I'm talking about! I sacrifice my Cyber Shadow-Soldier to summon Cyber Shadow-Intelligence Operative (1200/600) to the field in attack mode!" A humanoid creature wearing a black trench-coat appeared on his field. "As long as he is in play, you will be unable to attack him until you get rid of the rest of my Cyber Shadows. And I also can draw two cards each turn. So I'm going to end my turn for now."

Eri didn't like that sound of that at all. ("With a monster like that in play my magic card won't keep him pinned down for long.") She drew and glanced at the card.

Ichigo wasn't really surprised when Eri started to laugh. "Now what?"

The demoness slid the drawn card into her duel disk. "I play the continuous magic card Situational Despair! As long as this card is in play, then if you do not attack me during your battle phase I will draw a card for every monster you have." She motioned to her Shroud of Midnight that blanketed her field. "And thanks to my other magic card, you won't be able to attack. Therefore, Situational Despair may as well just say that I get to draw a card for every monster you have on the field each turn."

Ichigo muttered something angrily. ("How ironic…I get something that lets me draw two cards, and so does she.")

Eri thumbed to her opponent. "End turn." She drew the top card of her deck and held it up to her opponent. "It's Byser Shock again, so that's another 400 life points gone."

Ichigo- 2150

Eri- 2300

Ichigo slid two cards off of his deck, trying to ignore the steadily increasing burning sensation in his chest from all of the lightning that had been hitting him. "I summon Cyber Shadow-Blademaster (2000/1600) in attack mode and set one card face-down on the field. End turn."

Eri snapped four cards off of her deck. "That was dumb of you. Why would you play a third monster, knowing full well that I get to draw a card per monster on your field?" She added the four new cards to her single one. Now she had a full hand again. ("And I intend to use it to crush you beneath my heel.") She slid her face-down monster into the graveyard. "I sacrifice my face-down Sangan to set another monster in its place." Then she removed her deck and searched for a monster thanks to Sangan's effect. "End turn." She drew five cards off of her deck again, and then frowned when she finally came to a monster. "Trapped Soul (500/500) isn't what I was hoping to see. Oh well, 250 life points of damage is better than none."

Ichigo- 1900

Eri- 2300

Ichigo winced in pain this time, but he was getting used to the dark energy that was hurting him. ("Maybe I'll adjust enough to it that it'll stop hurting…") He drew twice and glared at the cards. ("Do you want me to lose or what!?") He slid one card into his disk. "I'm setting one card face-down and ending my turn."

Eri drew four cards again. "What's going on in that head of yours? Do you expect me to deck out or something?"

"It'd be nice if you would, but I somehow doubt that it will be that easy." Ichigo smiled tiredly.

The demoness flipped up her face-down monster. "How right you are! I reveal the monster I sacrificed Sangan for! Come out, my Soul Burner!" (2200/1800) A hideous red ghost with a giant gaping hole for a mouth appeared on her field. "And would you like to know what his special ability is?"

"Not really…but you're going to tell me anyway." Ichigo just wanted to lie down and die already.

Eri slid all of the nine cards she was holding into her deck. Picking up the replenished stack of cards, she started to shuffle them. "I can shuffle cards back into my deck to deal you 100 life points of damage per card. And that means you're about to feel 900 points of pure fiery pain!" The ghost howled and spat out a fireball that slammed into Ichigo's chest and sent him sliding backwards.

Ichigo- 1000

Eri- 2300

The half-demon stumbled back to his spot on the field. "You love every second of this…aren't you?" Speaking hurt so much, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted to know.

"That's a rather stupid question, don't you think?" Eri smirked coldly and drew one card. "And before you complain, keep in mind that one of the cards in my hand was my Trapped Soul monster. When it is shuffled into my deck I may draw one card." She crossed her fingers. "I end my turn." Her hand came down onto her deck.

Ichigo held his breath and prayed that she didn't get a monster with 2000 or more attack points. ("If she does I'm finished.")

Frowning, she glared at the first card. "Bone Sorcerer." (450/600)

Ichigo- 775

Eri- 2300

Ichigo slid two cards free from his deck. He didn't feel pain anymore, thanks to all of these numbing lightning blasts. "I set one card and end my turn." At the end of his sentence he coughed up a glob of blood that landed on the steel floor. ("Oh boy…I'm dying slowly.")

Eri drew four more cards. "This is so much fun. I'm hoping that you prove to be this amusing every day."

"Just…shut up already…" Ichigo panted.

"Fair enough, but my Soul Burner has a couple of words to say to you." She shuffled her five cards back into her deck. "Now burn!" The red ghost roared and shot out another fireball. Ichigo barely moved when it hit him though.

Ichigo- 275

Eri- 2300

Eri stood confidently with her hand touching the top of her deck. "You're done and you know it. I…end…my…turn!" Each word was spoken slowly, like the nails being driven into Ichigo's coffin.

The demoness drew the top card of her deck, glanced at it, and then slid it onto the bottom.

Ichigo prayed that the creature had 500 or less attack points....

She drew again, and once more the card was slid onto the bottom of her deck. "Well…this is suspenseful huh?" Another card left the top of her deck. Eri looked at it and then slid it onto the bottom of the deck. "It's like the clock is ticking down your last few seconds of life. Ichigo…are you ready? Because here I go again." She drew…

Ichigo sucked in a bit of breath through his scorched lips…

Eri flipped the card over and then slid it back into her deck. "Nope…lucky you…"

She drew and her eyes widened. "You must be joking me…it's another Bone Sorcerer."

Ichigo-50

Eri- 2300

Ichigo felt his arms fall to his sides as another small burst of lightning slammed into him. ("I'm…so…tired…") He laughed weakly at how funny all of this was. ("I'm wonder if she's gonna treat me well as a pet?") That line of thought died almost instantly. ("What am I thinking? I'm not beaten yet.")

He slid the first card off of his deck numbly, knowing full and well that it all came to what he drew this turn. "This…card…is…useless…" It was added to his hand and he drew one more time, though this time he didn't look at the card yet. "Eri…before I look at this card…I have to ask you something."

The demoness frowned at having to wait even one more second without her prize, but she knew it wouldn't kill her to grant him his 'dying' wish. "What is it?"

"Why are you doing this? Doesn't it all seem pretty silly to be so evil about your vengeance? Couldn't you have just as easily dueled me normally?"

Eri thought about that for a few seconds, and then she shook her head. "That wouldn't have been an option. I must reclaim my father's honor by making an example of you." Her voice was firm…and yet Ichigo could have sworn he had detected something like regret somewhere in there.

"So be it…then here we go." He turned the card enough so he could see its face. And he laughed weakly. "End turn…"

Eri drew her four for the turn. "Ichigo Pilkington…good-bye." She slid her four cards into her deck and shuffled the stack once more. "Soul Burner…attack his life points with your special ability. Soul-consuming fireball!" The red ghost howled and spat out another fireball which rocketed towards the half-demon.

_To be continued…_

Author's Notes:

To Seeker of the Soul: Yes…quickly retract your words and run for the hills! Go man go!

To gohan11: Then everything is going according to plan…..MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

To GryphinWyrm7: Most likely she does, but I don't think she gives a damn.

To TheMysticWanderer: I'll certainly try to keep amazing you.


	10. The end of the Opening Day Tournament

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 10: The end of the Opening Day Tournament

Ichigo hoped beyond all hope that his face-down card would work. "Reveal…face-down…card…Emergency Provisions." One of his five face-down cards. "This quickplay magic card allows me to sacrifice magic and trap cards on my field to gain 1000 life points per card. And I'm sacrificing four!" The four cards other than his Emergency Provisions faded away.

Ichigo- 4050

Eri- 2300

Ichigo instantly looked fully healed. Throwing up his arms, he got hit by the fireball.

Ichigo- 3650

Eri- 2300

Eri smiled slightly. "So you wish to play a bit longer huh? That's fine with me. Soul Burner, attack his Strongarm!" The red ghost howled and launched across the field, slashing through the burly monster with its long nails.

Ichigo- 3350

Eri- 2300

"And for the finale," Eri drew cards off the top of her deck until she reached the fourth. "I have drawn Byser Shock, so eat this!" The Chaos Shaman lifted its hand and blasted Ichigo with more black lightning.

Ichigo- 2950

Eri- 2300

Ichigo frowned and snapped two cards off of his disk. "I'm not gonna lose to you, Eri." He added the two cards to his hand and then slid one of them into his disk. "I set one card face-down on my field. End turn."

Eri threw back her head and laughed. "Luckily for you, Situational Despair now only gives me two extra cards." She slid three cards from her deck and glanced at them. "Not that it matters though, because as long as my burn combo is in play you are going to lose eventually." Her hand was shuffled back into her deck. "Now Soul Burner, strike him again!" The ghost howled and shot out another fireball.

Ichigo- 2650

Eri- 2300

"And now I'll tear apart your Blademaster!" The Soul Burner lunged across the field, claws extended to flay the warrior.

Ichigo had other plans though. "I owe this one to my dad. Reveal Mirror Force!"

"Mirror Force!?" Eri knew exactly what that card did, but she couldn't believe he would have something so rare in his deck.

A blue barrier of light sprang up between them. Her Soul Burner slammed into the barrier and exploded into particles of light.

The demoness narrowed her eyes and started to draw from the top of her deck. "So you've still got some fight left in you, hmm?" At the second card she flipped over Bone Sorcerer.

Ichigo- 2425

Eri- 2300

Brushing smoke from his uniform, Ichigo took a deep breath and slid two cards off the top of his deck. "Here we go…draw!" Glancing at the cards, he added them to his hand and nodded to her. "End turn."

Eri snickered calmly and drew three times. "You're making this far too easy." After glancing at the three cards, she started to draw off the top of her deck. At the first card she flipped it over to show its face. "I've drawn Skull Knight (1000/1200) and that means you lose 500 life points!" The Chaos Shaman released another wave of black lightning that slammed into Ichigo.

Ichigo- 1925

Eri- 2300

Ichigo slid two more cards off of his deck. ("I seriously need a way to get rid of her Shroud of Midnight so that I can attack.") Then he looked at the cards in his hand and he had an idea. "Here goes nothing!"

"Eh? What do you think you're going to do?" Eri crossed her arms across her chest and laughed calmly. "You think you're going to defeat me and my defense?"

"Yep," Ichigo slid two cards from his hand into his graveyard. "First I activate one of my rarest magic cards. It's called Healing Fusion. First I must discard two cards from my hand to activate this card's effect. I just did that. Now I select any two monsters in my graveyard that can fuse and I tally their attack points together." His graveyard spat out two cards, which he caught and held up. "These are Cyber Shadow-Soldier (1600/1600) and Cyber Shadow-Trainer." (300/1200) The two cards shimmered out of existence. "Now both of them are removed from play, and I gain life points equal to their total attack."

Ichigo- 3825

Eri- 2300

"And for the finale…they fuse!" A humanoid form exploded out of the ground and landed on Ichigo's monster field. "My favorite card is here, and you're lock is about to collapse around you." It wore a tight black bodysuit pulled over its muscular frame and a black bandana wrapped around its forehead that fluttered on an invisible wind. "Special Operative-Snake (2000/1800) is here!"

Eri rolled her eyes. "How stupid are you? Shroud of Midnight prevents you from attacking with it."

"Who ever said I was attacking with it?" He discarded a card from his hand into the graveyard. "Snake's special ability activates now! By sacrificing a card in my hand and my battle phase for this turn, I can destroy one monster on your field that has a lower attack total than my monster. Also, you'll take damage equal to the destroyed monster's attack points!" The mercenary pulled a black detonator out of its pocket and pressed down on the device.

The demoness braced herself as her Chaos Shaman exploded, taking a small chunk of her life points with it. ("No…without a dark spellcaster on my field the Shroud of Midnight will fade away.")

Ichigo- 3825

Eri- 1800

Ichigo slapped a card onto his duel disk. "Before I end my turn I summon Cyber Shadow-Guardian (0/2200) in defense mode." A silver robot appeared on his field in a crouching position.

Eri started to draw five cards…but then froze up as she realized what he had done. ("By skipping his battle phase my Situational Despair card doesn't work for this turn.") Growling, she drew one single card and held it up to her eyes. Frowning, she slapped it onto her disk. "I set one monster face-down on my field, and then I activate the magic card Nightmare Steel Cage." A jet-black steel cage erupted around Ichigo's field. "For the next two turns you are going to be unable to attack. End turn."

Ichigo snapped two cards off of his deck. ("I have seven cards left in my deck now…and that means I'm going to lose soon if I don't get my Intelligence Operative off of the field.") Yet looking at his six cards he saw no answer to his dilemma. "End turn."

Eri laughed quietly. "What's the matter, can't understand the fact that you've dug yourself into a pit with no way out?" She slid five cards off of her deck. Glancing at one of them, she snickered coldly. ("Sanctified Soul's special ability is that when it is sent to the graveyard both players draw until they have six cards in their hand. Considering that he only has seven cards left in his deck, he won't be able to afford that price.") She placed a card onto her disk. "I set one monster face-down on the field and end my turn."

Ichigo slid two more cards off of his deck. ("I still have Shadow Bomb (200/1500) in my hand, but if I activate it now I will lose the duel. And the rest of these cards are only going to be useful if I can attack.") "I set two cards face-down on the field and end my turn."

Eri drew five more cards, while her Nightmare Steel Cage exploded into flakes of steel. "I'm going to wipe out your life points right now, and save you the trouble of having to deck out." She slid one of her many cards into her deck. "I activate the magic card Dark Soul Infusion!" A black mist fell over Ichigo's field, and all of his monsters started to twist and warp. "This magic card will turn all monsters on your field into demon sub-type monsters, and it will also lower their attack points by 500 apiece."

Ichigo paled as his monsters fell to their knees, bodies drained of energy.

Cyber Shadow-Guardian (0/2200)

Cyber Shadow-Intelligence Operative (700/600)

Cyber Shadow-Blademaster (1600/1600)

Special Operative-Snake (1600/1800)

Fishing three cards out of her graveyard, Eri held them up for her opponent to see. "Now I sacrifice three demon monsters from my graveyard to summon this monster to the field!" A blue-skinned female vampire holding a broken doll appeared on her field. "I special summon Dark Necrofear (2200/2800) to the field!" Next to the vampire a black curved sword appeared. "Also, I play the equipment magic card Black Soul Sword! This will raise Necrofear's attack points by 1000 per demon on the field. Your four demons and my single Dark Necrofear equal a 5000 point boost!" (7200/2800)

Ichigo gritted his teeth and tried to ward off the fear he now felt. That kind of attack power was not something he was ready for.

"You're at the end of your rope, and it's time to fall! Dark Necrofear, attack Snake now!" The evil monster grabbed the sword from its resting place and launched across the field to slash through Ichigo's favorite card.

"Reverse card open! Negate Attack will be stop your monster from attacking and end the battle phase!" A swirling vortex appeared on the field and froze the vampire in her tracks.

Eri had expected something to that extent. Another magic card from her hand appeared on the field. "Before I end my turn I'm going to play the magic card Grave Hand, which will send your Special Operative to the graveyard!" A huge black hand exploded out of the ground and dragged the fusion monster to its death. "Also, I'm setting two cards face-down. End turn."

Ichigo shivered in fear at the pure dark aura that flowed around both Eri and her monster. ("This is insane. I need to turn this around with my next two cards.") He slid them off of his deck and flipped them up so he could see their faces. Nodding to his hand, Ichigo opened his field magic card slot and inserted one of the two cards. "First I play the field magic card Fusion Gate, which means that now we can fuse monsters together with Polymerization!"

Eri smiled coldly, knowing full well what was coming.

"Now I'm going to bring out some reinforcements!" Ichigo grabbed Cyber Shadow-Blademaster off of his duel disk and took another card from his hand, holding them up for her to see. "I'll fuse Cyber Shadow-Blademaster and Cyber Shadow-Assassin (1000/1000) together to create Special Operative-Fox!" (2200/1200) A metallic ninja warrior appeared on the field.

"Next I play another rare magic card known as Army's Return! This will allow me to special summon two warrior monster from my graveyard, and the only downsides are that they die at the end of the turn and that they cannot attack!" A pair of woman in black body-suits appeared on his field. "So I'm special summoning back Cyber Shadow-Psychic (1500/1200) and Cyber Shadow-Ninja!" (1100/200)

Ichigo removed Cyber Shadow-Ninja from his disk and one card from his hand, placing both in his back pocket. "Then I'll fuse Cyber Shadow-Ninja with Cyber Shadow-Marksman (1700/1000) together to create Special Operative-Wolf!" (1800/2000) A woman in a black body-suit wielding a huge sniper rifle appeared on the field.

The next card to leave his disk was Cyber Shadow-Psychic. "Thirdly, I will fuse Cyber Shadow-Psychic with Cyber Shadow-Disguise (1000/1800) and create Special Operative-Shade!" (1000/0) An inky black humanoid figure appeared on the field.

Eri growled angrily at the sudden army that had appeared under her opponent's control. ("Damn…this could be bad.")

Ichigo wasn't done yet though. "Fourthly, I'm fusing Cyber Shadow-Guardian with the Shadow Bomb monster card in my hand!" A silvery robot with a catapult attached to its back appeared on the field. "This is Cyber Shadow-Catapult!" (0/2500) "Using its special ability, I'm going to fire my Cyber Shadow-Intelligence Operative at you to deal you half of its attack in damage!" The trench-coated monster climbed onto the catapult's back and was launched across the field to slam into Eri.

Ichigo- 3825

Eri- 1450

The demoness quickly recovered and came to her feet growling. "You little…"

"I'm not finished yet!" Ichigo slammed another card into his duel disk. "Monster Reborn revives Special Operative-Snake and brings him back to the field!" Ichigo's favorite monster returned to the battle in a flash of light.

"And now I'll play the last card in my hand on Wolf. Activate Special Operative Weapon-Slayer!" The huge sniper rifle of Wolf's disappeared and was replaced by a much smaller and sleeker weapon. "This card can only be used twice, but it allows me to destroy one face-up monster on your field!"

Eri coldly smiled. ("He thinks that killing Necrofear will get rid of her? She's got the perfect effect for death, and with it I'll steal his best monster on the field and wipe out his life points.")

Ichigo knew exactly what Dark Necrofear did as well, but he wasn't that worried. "Thanks to the special ability of Special Operative-Wolf however, my Slayer now removes a monster it destroys from the game."

"What!?" Eri gritted her teeth as she realized this meant her Necrofear would die and stay dead.

Special Operative-Wolf fell to one knee and shouldered her weapon, aiming it at the undead monster in front of her. One echoing bang later Dark Necrofear was removed from the game.

Eri frowned at the fact that her monster was now gone. Until she realized what Ichigo was about to do. ("He's going to attack my Sanctified Soul…and when he does he and I will have to draw until we hold six cards in our hand. And since he has three cards in his deck and zero cards in his hand…it will be the end of him.") "Come and get me, fool!"

Ichigo pointed at one of the face-down monsters. "Special Operative-Fox…attack that monster now!" The metallic ninja leapt across the field and slashed its sword right through the card.

Eri grimaced and held up the card that had been destroyed. "As you know, Bone Sorcerer lets me shuffle it into my deck and then draw cards off the top until I come to a monster. Then I summon that monster to my field, though it is unable to attack." Her hand slid the top card off of her deck and she slapped it onto her disk. "I summon Hellmare (1500/500) in defense mode." A horse-like form made out of phantom flame appeared on the field.

The half-demon pointed at the flaming creature. "Fox, attack again!" The ninja jumped across the field and slashed through the flaming horse.

"My monster is dead but not gone." One of Eri's two face-down cards flipped up. "Activate Wandering Souls! As long as this is on the field whenever a monster is sent to the graveyard it is actually shuffled into the owner's deck instead." She picked up the Hellmare card and shuffled it into her deck.

Something about this situation felt wrong to Ichigo. ("It's like she doesn't care about the fact that I can still attack her with my other monsters.") "End turn."

The demoness growled angrily. ("So you're following your gut instinct? That's fine, because I can just suicide my….") Her eyes widened as she did the math in her head. ("I don't have the life points necessary to survive Sanctified Soul's destruction if I force one of his monsters to destroy it.") She drew and set one monster face-down on her field. "End turn."

Ichigo snapped the top card off of his deck. ("I gotta make some head-way in this duel.") "Fox, attack the monster she had just set!" The ninja leapt across the field and slashed through Eri's monster.

She held up the card. "Trapped Soul is shuffled into my deck, and its special ability lets me draw one card and immediately play whatever I draw." Drawing the top card, she slid it into her duel disk. "Not what I was hoping for, but it'll work. I activate the equipment magic card Necklace of Souls." A beautiful silver necklace appeared around her neck. "This is a rare magic card that is meant to equip itself to a player. While it is in effect, I may discard one card from my hand to gain 500 life points at the start of each of my turns. Also, if that card is a monster then you take 100 life points of damage for every level star of that creature."

Ichigo knew that if he didn't attack and try to finish this now, that he would lose in just two turns. ("Something about this feels wrong…and I can't turn my back on my instincts.") "End turn."

("Damn him, he still won't take the bait and attack my Sanctified Soul.") Eri drew and flipped over the card at the other end of her hand. "I'm activating the Necklace of Souls right now. I'll use its power to send Behemoth of the Night (3500/3000) back into my deck. Then I'll gain 500 life points and you'll 1000, since it is a ten star monster."

Ichigo- 2825

Eri- 1950

"Now I set one monster face-down and end my turn." Eri knew all too well what she was going to do next turn. She would gain 500 more life points and then she could risk forcing one of Ichigo's monsters to destroy her Sanctified Soul.

Ichigo snapped the top card off of his deck and slid it into his duel disk. "I play the magic card Mystical Space Typhoon, letting me destroy your Necklace of Souls!" A sharp wind blew across the field and shattered Eri's necklace.

("I swear that he is doing this just to prolong his end…") Eri's right eye had developed a twitch now. How could someone be so damned…intuitive?

"Fox, attack the face-down monster that she just set!" The ninja faded away and appeared in front of the card, slashing through it swiftly and then reappearing on Ichigo's field.

Eri flicked the card up and shuffled it into her deck. "Another Bone Sorcerer." She drew four cards, taking the fourth and slapping it onto her disk. "I summon Behemoth of the Night in attack mode." The 30' tall form of her favorite monster appeared on the field.

Ichigo nodded to her. "End turn."

"You know that you only have one card left in your deck, right?" Eri drew, looked at her hand, and coldly smirked. "End turn."

Ichigo drew the last card of his deck and felt the last of his hopes fade away. ("What am I going to do now?") He sighed and motioned to Wolf. "May as well go out with a bang. I activate the special ability of my Slayer weapon." The sniper monster fell to one knee and in one shot both the Behemoth of the Night and the weapon was gone.

Eri crossed her arms across her chest and smiled calmly. "As I thought…you are good. However, no amount of skill can overcome me. I have the blood of one of the greatest demons in history coursing through my veins."

"Eri Amero…you're so full of yourself that it isn't even a cute trait…it's just annoying." Ichigo looked at all of his Special Operatives on the field and then at his Cyber Shadow-Catapult. ("I could sacrifice all of them and win…but I will not do that to my monsters.") "End turn!"

The wolfess closed her eyes and drew. "It's funny to watch you prattle on and on about things that don't really matter." She drew one card and then smiled. "End turn."

Ichigo didn't even bother. He removed his cards from his disk and shuffled them back into a deck. "You've won Eri. I'm no match for you."

Ichigo- Loss from deck-out

Eri- 1950

The demoness shuffled up her cards and walked across the field towards him slowly. "Why didn't you defeat me?"

"I have my own reasons," Ichigo didn't feel like being polite at the moment. He felt more like running away as fast as demi-humanly possible.

Snickering, Eri placed a nail under his chin and narrowed her eyes slightly. "You're such an interesting boy." Withdrawing her nail, she reached down and pulled his deck out of his disk.

"What are you…?" Ichigo was stopped in mid-sentence by her withering glare.

After a few seconds she smiled and slid the deck into her back skirt pocket. "You'll get this back when and if you can defeat me."

"Now wait…" Ichigo opened his mouth to say something, but all that came out was a pained cry. Collapsing to his knees, he felt his chest burn horribly.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The inky black sphere faded away, revealing Ichigo's kneeling form and Eri's standing one.

Daniel gritted his teeth. ("He lost!?") At least he was still alive.

Eri looked over at the announcer's booth. "I have won this duel." She turned and walked off the arena floor, smiling just enough to make it known that she was pleased.

Ichigo slowly came to his feet, his eyes burning with a mix of anger and pain. ("Erika Amero…the next time we meet I'm going to get my deck back and I'm going to make you pay. Just you wait.")

The leather collar that was fused to his neck said otherwise though.

_To be continued…_

Author's Notes: Please review and let me know what you think of this unexpected twist.

To Seeker of the Soul: Yeah, I actually played out this duel and this was the result. Yes Ichigo could have won had he used the effect of Cyber Shadow-Catapult, but he felt that would be disrespectful to his monsters.


	11. The first day of school

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 11: The first day of school

"Ichigo, get out of the bathroom! Seriously, I need to get ready for class!" Griff tapped his foot on the hardwood impatiently.

Said half-demon was too busy trying to remove the black leather collar that was affixed to his throat. ("Come off damn you!") No matter how hard he tried though, it refused to move from its perch. "I'm not coming out until this thing comes off!"

"Just put on a scarf or something! Now get out of there before I come in and drag you out!!" Griff was at his wit's end. At this rate he was never going to be ready for the first day of the new school year. "I'm warning you…"

The door flew open and Ichigo stomped out, with nothing on but a towel wrapped around his waist. "It's all yours…because I'm not going to class!"

Krieger's head popped out from his bunk. "But it's the first day of school! If you don't go, do you understand how bad of an impression you will make on the instructors?"

The half-demon sat down in the chair at his desk and slammed his skull into the wood. "Krieger…I'm wearing a collar. Do you understand how humiliating this is for me!?"

Griff was already in the bathroom, but his voice could be heard through the door. "Just call it a fashion statement."

"Thanks for the stroke of genius, Griff." Ichigo's voice held a tinge of sarcasm, though he was actually considering trying that excuse. It might just work. "There's still just one problem though."

"The fact that you're wearing a towel?" Krieger tugged on the collar of his red uniform coat.

Ichigo sighed and rubbed his eyes with a hand. "Nooooo….the fact that I don't have a deck anymore. Eri took it and because of that stupid darkness game rule I can't do anything about it. Without a deck I'm not going to last very long around this campus." His ears drooped as the gravity of his situation weighed down on him.

"Can't you go and get it back from Eri?" Griff yelled from behind the bathroom door. "I know she's a cold-hearted girl, but she's still a duelist. And there's an unspoken code of honor amongst duelists not to do stuff like what she did."

"I'm not going there…" Ichigo growled at the memories of the demoness that had turned him into her 'pet'. "I'd rather just be without a deck than have to beg to her." He stood up and went over to his dresser.

"You can't come to class without your deck and you know it." Krieger sighed and sat down in his own chair, looking away while his roommate. "I bet your father would give you one of his spare decks. A great duelist like him must have one for you to use."

Ichigo sighed and shook his head, pulling a white muscle shirt over his chest. "No way…am I getting dad involved in my personal battle. I'd prefer to make my own deck from random cards than have to go crying to him." Picking up his uniform jacket, he slid it on and frowned as his hand brushed against the well-oiled surface of his collar. "I wonder if I can cut it off."

"I doubt it's that easy. From what my father told me about the darkness games, you can't bypass their restrictions that easily. As for your deck…" Krieger smiled slightly at a thought that passed through his head. "I heard there is a store on the island. If we go there after class then you can buy some cards and build a new deck. How much money do you have on you?"

Ichigo paled. "Umm…do you think they could put me on a tab?"

Krieger face-fell.

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The rest of that morning passed rather uneventfully…with the exception of one problem that happened during a particular gold-oriented instructor's class.

"Pilkington, are you listening to me?" Midas King frowned at Ichigo, who had been staring at his desk for most of the class.

The classroom they were in was set up like a stadium, with each of the three dorms in rows from front to back. Osiris Red students sat up near the front, because it was believe if they were closer to the teacher that they would learn something.

And Ichigo was up front at the moment. "I'm sorry Professor, I wasn't."

Midas sighed and shook his head sadly. "I asked you to please explain your deck theme. That is what my class is about…or do you even pay enough attention to notice that?"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "My deck is an Espionage deck, using the special set of cards called Cyber Shadows."

"Would you please present one of these Cyber Shadows for the class to see?" Midas hated the bitter taste that was in his throat at the moment. Being reminded of his defeat at this little bastard's hands was not pleasant, but he knew that amongst Osiris Red students Ichigo had the best dueling record.

"I'm sorry sir, I can't do that." Ichigo hated Midas King more than ever now. ("He just had to bring this up…didn't he?")

The golden-coated instructor came just a little closer, ignoring the snickers that were aimed his way. Some of the other students thought that Ichigo was denying Midas because of his hate for him…but he knew the truth. "And why can't you show me your deck?"

"Because…I…don't…have…it…with…me," Ichigo growled through gritted teeth.

"You didn't bring your deck with you?" Midas King knew exactly why this was, and he intended to force it out of the little punk's lips. "Do you really dislike Duel Monsters that much? I mean…you go to the Duelist's Academy and forget your deck. What kind of duelist does that?"

Ichigo started to calculate, roughly, his chances of getting out of this situation by running up the stairs and out the entrance to the class room. Then he decided that it wouldn't help his situation at all if he did. "I don't have my deck because I lost it." The collar around his neck felt like it was tightening slightly as he said this. He was sure that feeling had to be in his head…right?

"You lost it? Are you that forgetful?" Louder snickers came from the upper rows of the classroom, where the lower class Obelisk Blue students were enjoying this far too much. They loved watching any member of the lower dorms suffer, and considering that Ichigo Pilkington had earned the title, 'The Blue Osiris', they took real pleasure in watching him get his failure rubbed into his face.

From her seat, Eri Amero licked her lips at how delicious this was. She didn't particularly care for Midas King, but the man certainly knew how to rub someone's face in their losses. From her side some of the other female students giggled. They had heard from Eri exactly what had happened to Ichigo, and while a lot of them thought it really strange, it was also entertaining.

When Ichigo's only response to Midas' question was to growl dangerously, the instructor reached over and tugged on the black leather collar. Though every instinct in Ichigo's body was to return the favor by tugging on Midas' beard, he controlled that urge. "Does your deck missing have something to do with this little 'trinket' that you're wearing? Or is it a fashion statement."

Up in the top rows many of the Obelisk Blue students were laughing quietly. Even Adriel had to smile a bit.

One of the few people who weren't laughing at the moment was Hitokage Seijitsu. The blond-haired duelist crossed his arms across his chest and watched expectantly. He wanted to see how Ichigo responded to being provoked.

For a few seconds, Ichigo had red thoughts flash in his skull. Immediately after though an image of his father appeared in his mind, reminding him that violence wouldn't fix this problem. His answer came with his next words. "Oh this?" He leaned back smugly into his chair and tugged on the collar proudly. "I'm wearing it in celebration of the pounding I gave you just a week ago in that duel. Remember the fireworks we saw when your Enraged Muka Muka went up like a roman candle?" The half-demon's smile said he remembered it very well. "And from what I heard, that was your real deck too. Maybe I should be the one teaching the class?"

Midas' right eye had developed a twitch, while all around the classroom the laughter continued. This time it was centered on the instructor though. "You ego is your downfall, mister Pilkington." Spinning around, Midas returned to his lesson.

Griff threw Ichigo a thumbs-up.

Though his life wasn't fixed yet, Ichigo was all too glad to return it.

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Krieger Reinhardt felt extremely bad for his friend. ("Poor Ichigo…as long as that collar is around his neck then Eri has him under her control…to an extent.")

His last class for the day ended one hour before both Griff's and Ichigo's classes ended. So the half-demon decided to entertain himself with a walk around the island. At the moment Krieger was enjoying the beach of the island, and stretching out his arms he fell back against a nearby rock. His eyes closed slowly and he felt content to just rest for the next hour. Occasionally a strong wind would blow by and he'd have to flick his ears down to prevent sand from getting in them, but other than that this was incredibly relaxing.

"I've been looking for you, Krieger Reinhardt," a muffled voice said.

Krieger opened his ice-blue eyes and looked over at a black-cloaked form that was standing about twenty feet away from him. The person seemed distinctly male, though his face was hidden by the hood of the heavy black fabric. "Ummm…do I know you?"

"Not likely." The man's voice was calm, and sounded friendly enough. "However, I have something that your friend Ichigo might want."

"Ichigo? How do you know Ichigo?" Now Krieger felt a little worried. Memories of warnings from his father about black-cloaked men flicked through his thoughts.

"I know that he had no deck anymore, and without that he won't last very long here. I wish to make you an offer to help him." The man lifted his hand up from underneath his cloak to reveal two things. First off, he was wearing an old-fashioned version of the duel disk, and secondly he had a slip of paper between his middle and index finger. "In my hand I hold a special certificate for the Academy's store. If you present it to the owner, then your friend Ichigo will be able to get about fifty dollars worth of card packs from the store. While I promise nothing on what he will pull, he's better off with this certificate than without it."

Krieger wouldn't argue with that logic. "What's the catch?"

"All I request is that you duel me for this slip. If you win the certificate is yours, and if you lose then you're no worse for the wear." With a flick of his wrist, the man made the slip of paper disappear. "So what do you say?"

"Why would you do this? It sounds like no matter what happens that I will walk away with something and if you win then you get nothing at all."

The man's duel disk clicked into place. "My reasons are my own. Now, do you accept or not?"

Krieger has a strange feeling that he might wind up regretting this, but he knew that it was to help his friend. Opening up his backpack, he removed his duel disk and slid it onto his arm. "Alright, I accept your offer." His disk hummed to life. "Let's duel!"

Krieger- 4000

Man- 4000

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"Ichi-chan!"

Ichigo froze up at the sound of that voice. ("Crap…she found me.") He glanced behind him and sure enough, Eri Amero was coming towards him. Behind her was a pair of her friends.

Without any warning to him, Eri just walked up and tapped the collar. "See, I told you that we had a new pet for the room."

The two girls, one brown-haired and the other blond, stared at the collar.

Ichigo growled and turned to walk away…

"Heel!" Eri's voice carried with it the necessary power to activate the dark magic within the collar.

Unable to stop himself, Ichigo fell to one knee.

Casually, the demoness idly stroked his ears while talking to her friends. And the worst part of all of it was that Ichigo couldn't stop himself from purring because of her touch. ("I…will…get…you…for…this…Amero!")

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"Since I made the challenge I'll take first turn honors." The man drew six cards off the top of his deck. Immediately he placed a card onto his duel disk. "I set one monster face-down on my field." Right behind that card one was slid into a disk slot. "And I'll set one card face-down. End turn."

Krieger slid six cards off of his deck and fanned them out. ("I can't lose my cool. This guy seems to be a professional.") "I set one card face-down and one monster as well. End turn." He thought it best to start on the defensive until he had a better grasp of his opponent's strategy.

The man slid a new card from his deck, glanced at it, and then slid it into his disk. "I'll activate the magic card Mystical Space Typhoon, which will destroy your face-down card!" A sharp wind blew across the field and shattered Krieger's set card.

Despite the fact he had been expecting it; it didn't help Krieger's confidence to know that this guy was ready for this fight. ("Please…for Ichigo's sake let me win.")

"Now I sacrifice my face-down monster to summon Chaos Command Magician (2400/1900) in attack mode." A green-skinned magician in black robes appeared on his field. "Attack his face-down monster!" Lifting its staff, the spellcaster completely destroyed the set card.

Krieger felt his confidence rise as the destroyed card formed into a fireball that flew across the field and slammed into his opponent's chest. "You destroyed my Essence of Fire (500/1500) and when it is destroyed in battle you take 500 life points of damage!"

Krieger- 4000

Man- 3500

"Impressive play you made, Krieger. Perhaps this will be harder than I thought." The man slid another card into his disk. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

The way this man spoke about all of Krieger's moves made the half-demon feel like he was being analyzed. And that made him nervous. His ears twitched a couple of times as he shook off the feeling and drew. ("I can't choke…not now.") He slapped a card from his hand onto the disk. "I summon another Essence of Fire in defense mode." A ball of flame with a spectral face within it appeared on his field. "Then I combine it with the magic card Atomic Reaction, which will create two more of my Fire monster on the field!" The ball of flame shuddered and spat out two beads of fire that quickly grew to the size of their parent. "End turn."

"Another clever move." The man drew. "I summon Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer (1800/800) in attack mode." A man dressed in the robes of a monk appeared on the field. "Then I'll play the magic card Magician's Purge!"

"Magician's Purge!?" Krieger gritted his teeth at the mention of a card that rare.

The Chaos Command Magician and Kycoo began to chant rapidly. "That's correct. It will cost me my battle phase, but I may destroy all monsters on your field with 1000 attack points or less and reduce that amount of life from you."

Krieger's three Fire Essences popped like balloons, spraying their master with holographic fire.

Krieger- 2500

Man- 3500

"End turn." The man had yet to portray any real emotion, other than slight admiration when Krieger had made a good play.

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From his spot in the class room, Griff paled at what was on the board. ("That's right…I signed up for the Tag-Team Dueling course and didn't ever get a partner. Stupid procrastination…")

He knew he couldn't ask Krieger, because this wasn't one of Krieger's classes. ("Ichigo's in this class though…") The bronze-skinned boy looked around the room, searching for that familiar pair of ears. ("But where is he? Class is about to start.")

The bell rang and Ichigo came charging in through the door to the classroom, all but throwing himself down the stairs to get away from something. By the time the door had started to close, he was in his seat and breathing hard.

"Where's the fire?" Griff asked casually.

"Sorry…about…that…" panted the half-demon. "I…" he gulped down a few lungfuls of air and tried talking. "I needed to get away from Eri."

Griff grimaced at the name of the Obelisk Blue student. "Is she causing you problems?"

"You could say that." Ichigo didn't feel like discussing what he had endured on the way to this class. His blush still wouldn't go away though.

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"You're good, mister. But I'm not finished yet! Draw!" Krieger snapped the top card off of his deck and flipped it around to get a look at it. ("Alright!") He shoved his hand into his graveyard and pulled out one of his Fire Essence cards. "I'm sacrificing one of the fire monsters in my graveyard to special summon this to the field!" A pillar of flame shot up from his field. When it cleared a humanoid being made of fire appeared. "I summon Spirit of Flames (1700/1000) in attack mode!"

The man stood silent, watching intently.

Krieger frowned and slapped down another card. "Then I summon Darkfire Soldier (1700/1150) to the field in attack mode!" A burly man who was wreathed with flames appeared, wielding a curved scimitar in one hand.

Krieger slammed a card from his hand into his disk, and a face-up card appeared on his field. "Then I'll play the continuous magic card Burning Bond! Now all fire attribute monsters on the field will gain 300 attack points for every one of their kind on the field!" The blazes that surrounded Spirit of Flames and Darkfire Soldier increased in size as their attack points rose by 600 apiece. (2300/1000) (2300/1150)

"That's not all though, because when I go into my battle phase Spirit of Flames gains 300 attack points thanks to its special ability." (2600/1000) "So I'll clear away your two spellcasters in one shot! Attack!" The Spirit of Flames charged up a ball of fire within its hands and shot it across the field towards the Chaos Command Magician.

"Reveal face-down trap card, Blast with Chain." A bundle of dynamite attached to a steel chain appeared in the grasp of the man's Chaos Command Magician. "This trap equips to my monster and raises its attack points by 500." (2900/1900) With casual ease the magician snapped its staff up and knocked the fireball out of the way. "Counter-attack." In one flash of light the Spirit of Flames was gone.

Krieger- 2200

Man- 3500

Krieger paled but wouldn't let that stop him. "Soldier, attack his Kycoo now!" The swordsman launched across the field and slashed through the spellcaster.

Krieger- 2200

Man- 3000

The half-demon slid the last card in his hand into his disk, watching as a holographic representation of it appeared on the field next to his Burning Bond magic card. "I set one card face-down and end my turn." Darkfire Soldier's attack points dropped as it was now the only fire attribute monster on the field. (2000/1150)

The man drew. "You're dueling technique needs work, but you're still worthy of this academy. Unfortunately for you though, I have a card meant just for you." His face-down card flipped up. "I activate the trap card Return of the Mage. This will, for one turn, bring back a spellcaster from my graveyard. It cannot attack though, so you won't have to worry about me wiping you out with it." Kycoo reappeared on the field.

("Why would he bring back a monster if he can't attack with it?") Krieger quickly figured it out. ("He's going to make a double sacrifice!")

The two spellcasters on the man's field disappeared. "I sacrifice Chaos Command Magician and Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer to summon Dark Magician (2500/2100) to the field!" A purple-robed spellcaster faded into existence on his field. "Now attack his Darkfire Soldier!" The mage lifted it palm and in a blast of inverted light Krieger's monster disappeared.

Krieger- 1900

Man- 3000

"Finally I set one card face-down on my field." The man deposited the last card in his hand into the disk and nodded to the half-demon. "End turn."

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Ichigo sighed quietly and listened to the teacher drone on about the importance of knowing your partner's strategy, and then showing examples in dueling history where teamwork had made the impossible possible.

The half-demon was too busy trying to figure out some way to get his hands on a deck and defeat Eri. ("I seriously hate that spoiled, arrogant, cute…What?") Where had that come from?

He figured out the source moments later when he felt the collar pulse. Glancing back up the rows of seats, he met with a pair of golden eyes.

Eri threw him a quick wink, knowing full and well what he was thinking. Not because she could read his mind, but because he telegraphed his emotions too easily when he wasn't paying attention.

Whimpering quietly, Ichigo flattened his ears to his head and looked away. Thanks to her, he couldn't even trust his thoughts anymore.

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Krieger drew, holding the card out at arm's length. ("If this isn't something that can stop that Dark Magician, then I've lost.") With that mental declaration made, he pulled his arm in and looked at it. His eyes widened at the sight of the card he had drawn. ("It's my rarest card.")

He remembered what his face-down card was and smiled slyly. "I summon Horus The Black Flame Dragon Level 0 (1000/1000) to the field in attack mode!" There was a flash of light and a little metal hawk-like creature about the size of a chicken appeared on his field. "Now you meet my ultimate monster!" Horus screeched at the Dark Magician. "And thanks to Burning Bonds he gains 300 attack points!" (1300/1000) "End turn."

The man drew calmly, not seeming frightened in the least of the little 'metal chicken'. "I don't know what you have planned, but I doubt it is going to work." He slid the card into his disk. "I'll set this card face-down and have Dark Magician attack Horus!" Dark Magician lifted its staff and unleashed a wave of yellow magical energy towards Krieger's monster.

Krieger motioned to his monster, unconcerned by the wave of energy that was headed towards his monster. "Do you know why he is called Horus Level 0? Because he is only a child now." His lips curled into a smile. "That's about to change though! Reverse card open!" The set card on his field snapped up. "I activate my Flames of Radiance trap card! This trap was meant specifically for Horus, because it allows me to remove fire attribute monsters from my graveyard to raise Horus' level by one per removed creature!" His graveyard whined and spat out three cards. "And I'm removing all of my graveyard fire monsters. That equals three levels!" The small form of Horus let out another cute little screech, and then it disappeared in a torrent of flames.

The man's Dark Magician blinked in surprise as a steel wing snapped out of the fire and knocked the magic wave aside. Suffice to say, the man seemed surprised as well. "What's this?"

"This is Horus Level 3!" (2800/1600) The fire died down to reveal a much more mature-looking version of Horus. Now it was about the size of an eagle and seemed more ferocious than before. "Horus Level 3, counter-attack now!" Opening its beak, the steel bird sprayed out a drill-shaped blast of flame that incinerated the Dark Magician instantly.

Krieger- 1900

Man- 2700

Krieger wasn't quite done yet. "And because Horus destroyed a monster in battle, he levels up once again!" In a flash of light the metal monster was now about as big as a card. "Horus Level 4!" (3300/1800)

The man tapped a button on his duel disk. One of his face-down cards flipped up. "I activate the magic card Time Warp. This reverts the field back to how it was at the start of the turn. The only stipulation is that I cannot bring back any monsters that I lost." Everything became hazy, and when the mirage-like effect cleared Horus was back to a little chick-sized monster. (1300/1000) "End turn."

Krieger gritted his teeth as all of his hard work was undone by one magic card. ("It's ok though, because if I draw another fire monster I should be able to win.") Wiping his hand on his pants to get rid of the sweat that was gathering on his palms, he drew. One quick glance at the card and he smiled. "I've got you now. I summon Great Maju Da Eiza (?/?) in attack mode." A strange red carapace fiend appeared on the field. "His special ability increases his attack points by 400 for every card in my removed from play pile. And I have four. So no only does my monster gain 1600 attack points, but it also gains 600 thanks to Burning Bond." (2200/1600)

Horus screeched as its steel form shimmered brighter. (1600/1000)

"Now Great Maju Da Eiza, attack his life points directly!" The fiend roared and skittered across the field towards the man.

"You'd have me…if not for my face-down trap card! Attack Redirection Armor!" A suit of demonic steel armor appeared on the field and floated over to hover in front of Horus. "Now your Great Maju will be attacking your Black Flame Dragon instead."

Krieger paled as his monster swerved and tackled his rarest card, destroying it instantly.

Krieger- 1300

Man- 2700

This left the half-demon with no moves and a weakened monster. "End turn." (1900/1600)

The man drew. "You are very strong, but you lack the focus necessary to be a great duelist. Of course, I suppose that is why you are here." He glanced at the card and slid it into his disk. "End turn."

Krieger still wasn't sure what to make of this man. He didn't act sinister at all. If anything he seemed nicer than most strangers. ("I shouldn't dwell on this until I've won.") He drew and pointed at his opponent. "Great Maju Da Eiza, direct attack!"

"Don't bother, Krieger. I reveal my face-down trap card Shield of Recovery." A blue bubble appeared around him. "Now your attack will be negated, and I may pay 1000 life points to draw a card."

Krieger- 1300

Man- 1700

Krieger slid the card in his hand into his disk. "I'm still going to set this face-down though. End turn."

The man drew, his hood moving to bring both of his new cards into view. "First I play the magic card Block Attack, which forces your monster to go into defense mode." Krieger's Great Maju folded its wings in on itself. "And then I summon Spell Knight (1800/1600) in attack mode." A humanoid monster wearing gold and blue armor appeared on the field. "Attack his monster." Nodding, the knight launched across the field and slammed its golden staff onto the head of the fiend, destroying it.

Krieger motioned to his face-down card. "Reverse card open! I activate the trap card Fire Backlash! This can only be activated when one of my fire monsters in destroyed in battle. It will deal half of the destroyed monster's attack in damage to your life points!" A bolt of fire launched through the air and slammed into the man's chest.

Krieger- 1300

Man- 750

"I can accept that loss. End turn." Krieger's opponent understood that life points weren't important now. If Krieger couldn't finish this in the next turn he was most likely going to lose.

The cat-eared boy snapped the top card off of his deck and glanced at it. Frowning, he set it on his disk. "I'll set this and end my turn."

"So be it." The man drew and slid his Spell Knight into the graveyard. "I sacrifice my monster to summon Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700) in attack mode." A female version of the Dark Magician appeared on his field. "And thanks to the Dark Magician in my graveyard she gains 300 attack points." (2300/1700) "Attack!"

Krieger braced himself as the female spellcaster blew his face-down monster apart.

Calmly, the man bowed his head slightly. "End turn."

Another card came off of Krieger's deck and was placed face-down on his disk. "I set this monster. End turn."

A sigh came out from under the man's hood. "Are you truly out of moves already? A pity indeed. Dark Magician Girl, attack now!" Another flash of pink light later and Krieger was missing another monster. "End turn."

("I can't keep hoping that he doesn't pull a monster. I need…") He left the sentence hanging in his mind and drew. "I set this card face-down and end my turn."

The man drew and pointed at Krieger. "Dark Magician Girl, direct attack!"

"Reverse card open! I activate Fire Twister!" A funnel of fire exploded up out of the ground between Krieger and the Dark Magician Girl. "This quickplay magic card will negate a single monster attack and let me take one fire attribute monster from my graveyard and add it to my hand!" His graveyard slot spat out a card, which he picked up. "Anything else that you would like to do, sir?"

"You're such a gentleman…" The man sounded strangely pleased. "Yes, my turn is complete."

Krieger closed his eyes and felt a sudden ocean breeze blow through his ears. ("Horus…let's show him your power.") He drew and held the card up to his face. "This duel is still on, sir." Grasping the card he had picked up with Fire Twister, Krieger slapped it onto his disk. "Come out, Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 0!" The familiar form of Krieger's rarest card appeared on the field and screeched at the Dark Magician Girl, who gave the 'dragon' a big smile. Apparently she found it adorable.

"I'm glad she likes it, but in a second it's going to have to destroy her. I play the magic card Warp Dimensions!" Everything became hazy around them. "This will cause a temporary warp in time and space, reversing the effects of one card of my choice that has been played in the duel. I'll reverse the effect of your Time Warp magic card, meaning that all things it has effected are returned to normal." Horus' screech turned into an echoing roar as the little monster grew to the size of a car again. "Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 4!" (3300/1800) "Attack the Dark Magician Girl with Divine Black Fire Level 4!"

The man bowed his head to avoid getting blinded by the flash of flame that consumed his monster.

Krieger- 1300

Man- 0

Krieger threw Horus an appreciative look right before it faded off the field. ("Thank you, my friend.") With that done, he walked over to the man and smiled warmly. "Thank you for the excellent duel."

From underneath his hood the man chuckled happily, and handed the certificate to the half-demon. "You'd best get going now. Class is almost out and that means you should get that slip of paper to Ichigo quickly."

Krieger nodded and grabbed his backpack, running up the beach path towards to school. "Thank you again!" He yelled before he went out of sight.

Daniel tossed the hood of his cloak back and smiled wistfully. "Ah to be young and head-strong again." Shuffling the deck he had borrowed from the faculty supply room, the half wolf-demon shoved his hands into his pockets and walked off, whistling to himself. ("Ichigo…good luck.")

_To be continued…_

Author's Notes: Not much to say. Just that I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To Seeker of the Soul: And your question has been answered.

To a Neo Okami named Wolfy: The collar is Eri's strange little way of marking Ichigo as hers. Plus, as you see, it gives her partial control over his actions and to a lesser extent thoughts.

To Demon Fan: And there was Krieger dueling.


	12. Bizarre Occurences

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 12: Bizarre occurrences

"Ichi-chan sit now!"

The half-demon got about three steps before he was sitting on his arse. ("Someone just kill me and get it over with.") Then his mind faded as Eri started rubbing his ears. ("Damn it all….")

Meanwhile, Eri smiled to her friends. "So, where do you guys want to go today?" She ran her hands through Ichigo's hair. "We could take Ichi-chan for a walk?"

Ichigo wished two things at the moment. One was that he could find the strength to resist the magic which was preventing him from physically stopping Eri. The second wish was that he still had his deck so he could challenge her and win.

Eri smiled slyly and tussled his ears. ("Don't you wish it was that easy? Unfortunately, you're never going to get the chance to challenge me again. Without a deck I'll have control over you for the rest of your life.")

Eri's two friends found it pretty entertaining that Eri had finally found a guy…albeit this was a strange relationship.

Griff sighed from his position right inside the empty classroom. ("That poor guy. He's going to be under her control for who knows how long.") Then another worry popped into his head. ("And…he's supposed to be my partner for the Double-dueling class! I'm doomed!")

He heard a familiar voice and looked over to see Krieger running towards him. "Hey man, what have you been doing?"

The half cat-demon slid to a stop and blushed slightly at the sight in front of him. "Why is Eri petting Ichigo? And more importantly, why is he not doing anything about it?"

"Because he's a poor and depraved soul, that's why." Griff rubbed his eyes with a hand. "Trust me, it won't get any easier for him either. Then again, it isn't going to get easier for me as long as he's wearing that damned collar of hers."

Krieger grinned widely and held up a folded slip of paper. "I don't think that is going to be a problem."

"What's that?" Griff raised an eyebrow questioningly. "How's that going to solve his problem?"

"This is a certificate that will give Ichigo some credit at the school store. Hopefully he should be able to get the necessary cards to make a deck that can defeat Eri," Krieger sounded hopeful, even if he didn't really feel it. After all, how was Ichigo going to defeat Eri with some random cards, where he couldn't even defeat her with his own deck?

One look at Ichigo and the state he had been reduced to though told both Griff and Krieger that his best chances lay in winning against Eri with the cards he could get from the store.

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Just a few minutes later Ichigo was moping down the hallways of the school building, his ears drooped and his eyes to the ground.

"Cheer up man!" Griff hated seeing his friend this depressed. "I'm sure that you will be able to collect the necessary cards to defeat Eri. I mean she is good, but you're the son of a world-class duelist. That's gotta count for something."

"Exactly right," Krieger chimed in. "Think about it. She can't be that all-powerful, or else why would she be at this school in the first place?"

Ichigo didn't reply. He just sighed and picked up the pace. ("I'm not even sure why I am letting them take me to this store. What can I possibly get with fifty dollars that is going to give me a ghost of a chance at beating Eri? Last time I played her was when I had my Cyber Shadows, and it had taken everything I had just to bring that duel to where it had been at the start. This time though she has control over my emotions and thoughts…meaning that I couldn't possibly have a chance at trying to trick her.")

A quiet whimper escaped his lips. "Guys…I have nothing left to fight her with."

"Of course you do! What happened to your belief in your skill?" Griff could already tell that Eri's head games were getting to his friend. "How about we get the packs and see what cards you pull before you go and bury yourself?"

Ichigo had to smile slightly at the attempts of his roommates to cheer him up. "Yeah…sure."

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Erika Amero laid back in her bed and looked up at the ceiling. She couldn't have been more pleased with the fact that she had successfully humiliated Ichigo Pilkington. Thanks to the little mental 'tweaks' she had made to his outlook there was no way he could escape the acceptance of his position that was planted within his thoughts. ("Soon he won't even try to fight anymore. Then I truly will have my pet.")

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Hitokage Seijitsu frowned and looked out at the ocean waves in front of him. ("So much has happened in just the first day of school. Already I can feel the powers that are beginning to gather here.") His muscles flexed slightly as memories of the energy rush he had experienced when Eri had summoned the forces of darkness for her duel against Pilkington. ("At this rate….") His thoughts dispersed as he heard the sand behind him shift.

"Hitokage Seijitsu?" A voice asked calmly.

"Who wants to know?" The blond-haired Japanese boy slowly turned around. His confronter was a man in a jet-black leather body-suit. Streaks of silver ran through the fabric, and highlighted the man's jet-black eyes.

"My name is not important at the moment. I have come to warn you that soon the seals will be broken."

"The seals? What seals?" Hitokage wasn't nervous, but now he was curious. It was rare that people would just come up to him out of the blue and give bizarre warnings.

"Explaining would take too much of my already precious time. The only reason I am warning you of this is because you are one of the few beings on this island with enough experience to understand." The man's figure dispersed like mist on the wind, leaving Hitokage alone on the beach once more.

("Well that was completely pointless,") The Obelisk Blue student thought curtly.

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"How about from this set?" Krieger looked like a kid in a candy store, as did Griff.

Ichigo sighed again, watching his two roommates plow through shelf after shelf looking at all of the card sets that were for sale. ("They may as well stick to one set and not make such a mess.")

"You, my dear boy, look like you're having troubles," came a friendly voice from behind the counter.

Ichigo looked behind him and smiled to the shopkeeper, who was a short old man. "I'm that readable huh?"

Giving a wheezy laugh, the clerk disappeared underneath the counter. "From the way your friends are carrying on I assume that you have one of those certificates? You must have the special attention of an instructor to have one of those." He came back up holding a small cardboard box in his arms. "By the way, you shouldn't let whatever's on your mind get you so down. It isn't like you're going to die or anything."

The half-demon smiled softly at how ironic that sentence sounded. ("Considering this is Eri Amero that I am thinking of, I probably would be better off dead.")

"I see that I'm not helping your mood at all, eh?" The old man opened the box and pulled out a silver-foiled pack of cards. "Maybe this will cheer you up. These cards are part of a special set that is rather hard to find now a days."

Ichigo had to admit he was interested. "How much?"

"Normally something this rare would cost you about three hundred dollars." Catching Ichigo's frowning expression, that old man whispered, "But for you just ten."

At that moment Krieger came running up to the counter with a couple of packs in his hand. "These should give you everything you need to win against Eri. I just feel it in my bones that these packs will have the cards in them that will give you the answer to your problem."

Right behind him was Griff, who tossed a small bundle of packs onto the counter next to Krieger's. "We tallied it up and you still have ten dollars or so left."

Ichigo and the old man exchanged glances. With a slight grin the half-demon nodded to the pack in the old man's hands. "And I know just what to buy."

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Eri was brought out of her reverie by the beeping of her PDA. It was normally there for school work, so she thought it rather strange to get an e-mail at this time of day. ("What do the damned instructors want now?") Grabbing the cell phone-sized device, she tapped the button to bring up the message.

_To Erika Amero,_

_I challenge you to a rematch. If you think you have the guts to show up then meet me at the beachside tonight at seven o'clock._

_You know who I am._

Eri sneered and closed the PDA. "So Ichi-chan…you want to try your luck against me again?" Calmly, she went to get her stuff together. ("I'd think you would have waited to duel me, but if you really think you can stomach another loss then I'm more than willing to give it to you.")

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Ichigo took a deep breath and tried to focus his thoughts for the hundredth time since he had sent Eri the e-mail with his challenge. "I swear…I'm gonna choke or something."

"No you're not, stupid." Griff rolled his eyes and rested his back against one of the many small boulders overlooking the 'arena'. "As long as you keep yourself focused on your goal then there is no way that you can lose."

"Well put, Griff." Krieger smiled winningly to his friend. "I know that you have it in you. You'll win and send Erika-san packing."

"Is that so?" A calm female voice said from behind them.

Both boys jumped a clean foot into the air, spinning around to come face to face with Eri's two friends, Ashley and Sammy.

Ashley brushed back her flowing brown hair and grinned. "Ichi-chan's going to lose to Eri-san. She's far more skilled than he'll ever hope to be."

Sammy flicked her blond pony-tail over one shoulder and nodded. "Puppy-boy won't last five turns against Eri. You all know that, right?"

From out of the darkness stepped Eri. "That's enough, ladies. He wanted a duel and I intend to give him one." The demoness smiled coldly and walked to the other end of the arena. "So Ichi-chan, you think that you can defeat me?"

Removing her deck from her disk, Eri shuffled the cards and then reinserted them. "We've already seen what happened to you when you tried last time to take me out, and that was when you had your real deck. Whatever random stack of cards you have in your disk certainly won't help you in this duel."

Ichigo tapped a button on his disk, placing it into its 'on' position. "I'll defeat you Amero, just you wait." His tone was so passive that he didn't even believe his own words.

Eri knew exactly why his confidence was drained. And she had a hand in it, thanks to her collar. ("As long as you wear it then I can quite easily mentally drain you. It won't take much effort for me to destroy your focus.") "So, losers get to choose who go first."

"I'll take the first move." Ichigo's hand reached up to touch his deck.

"Hold on now." Eri lifted her hand up. "Let me add the right setting for a battle of this caliber! Darkness, come forth!" Within seconds the night surrounding the area had been replaced by a shroud of black and purple mist. "I've taken the liberty of setting this darkness game so that your and my friends can see what happens."

Krieger shivered as he felt the waves of dark energy that swirled around him. "This place…it's so cold."

Griff felt alright though. "I feel fine." Looking over at his roommate, he blinked a couple of times. "Hey Krieger, why do you look like someone has just shoved your finger into a power socket?"

The half cat-demon rubbed his arms, pulling his uniform coat closer around him for warmth. "This is so wrong…so strange."

Ichigo had to agree with Krieger, he hated how this place felt. Something about it translated to 'evil' in his mind. ("Of course a crazy bitch like Eri probably loves it here.")

Ichigo- 4000

Eri- 4000

But the half-demon couldn't let this place get to him. He had a duel to win. "My turn…draw!" He snapped a card off of his deck and added it to his hand. ("So let's see if this filler deck can hold its own. Because if it doesn't I'd hate to see what punishment Eri has for me.") A cold shiver ran up his spine at the thought.

Eri drew her five cards casually, knowing that very shortly she'd be able to inflict yet another 'punishment' upon Ichigo. ("Maybe I'll just turn you into a real wolf? Then there wouldn't be a problem with this 'free will' thing, eh Ichi-chan?") Her cold smile widened.

Ichigo flinched at that. "I…I start with one monster in defense mode." His hand, which was shaking, slid a card into his duel disk. "And I set one card face-down on the field…end turn." The half-demon felt so afraid now, like he was fighting against the night itself with nothing but a flashlight.

"That's it?" Eri drew. "You're not seriously expecting me to go easy on you, right?" She slammed a card onto her disk. "I summon Hellmare (1500/500) in attack mode!" A horse made of phantom white-blue flames appeared on her field. "Attack his face-down monster now!" It snorted out a pillar of fire that tore across the ground and slammed into Ichigo's monster, blowing it apart.

"Reverse card open!" Ichigo's face-down card disappeared and was replaced by a strange gold and silver urn. "My continuous trap card, Urn of Soul Storage, will now collect the souls of every monster that would be sent to the graveyard." A white mist floated from his field into the urn. "Now whatever goes into this urn is out of reach by both of us. When the urn is destroyed we will both gain 100 life points for each of our monster cards that are in it."

Eri sighed and slid two cards into her disk. "You're expecting that to affect me? Well I set two cards face-down on my field. End turn."

Ichigo felt the collar pulse in tune with his heartbeat, and he drew fearfully. "I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight (1800/1600) to the field." A knight monster wearing jet-black armor appeared on his field. "Now Gearfried, attack Hellmare!"

"Don't even waste my time, you pathetic excuse for a duelist!" One of Eri's face-down cards flipped up. "I activate the trap card Icy Death! This will destroy your monster and drain half of its attack points from your life points!" The card spat out a blue-white skull that launched across the field and consumed Ichigo's monster. Without even slowing it then slammed into Ichigo himself, sending the half-demon to his knees as an icy pain gripped his heart.

Ichigo- 3100

Eri- 4000

"Ichigo!" Griff grimaced and nearly ran over to check on his friend. The only thing that stopped him was the memory of what Daniel had told him. A darkness game meant bad news if you tried to interfere with it.

"Ichi-chan, just give up." Eri put one hand on her hip. "What's the purpose of fighting me? Have I truly been that cruel to you?" Her words had a strange undertone to them.

Ichigo understood numbly that she was completely ready for anything that he tried. ("But…I can't give up!") Climbing back to his feet, he slammed a card from his hand into his disk. "I play the magic card Pot of Greed, letting me draw two cards!"

"Don't you wish I would be nice enough to let you do that?" Eri's other face-down card flipped face-up. "Magic-hunting Spirit must ring a few bells in your head, right? This counter-trap destroys your magic card and steals another magic card from your hand as well." The card spat out a moaning ghost that tore right through the holographic Pot of Greed card and then continued on to blow one random card from Ichigo's hand.

Ichigo felt numb now. Eri was picking him apart like he was a novice. ("I can't let her get to me!") Grasping one of his remaining two cards, he slid it into his disk. "I set one card face-down. End turn!"

With a sigh, Eri drew. "I was hoping for a better duel than our last one. Apparently though your skills have been degrading over the twenty-four hours since our last battle. Hellmare, direct attack!" The flaming horse whinnied and sprayed out another gout of flames that engulfed Ichigo.

Ichigo- 1600

Eri- 4000

While the demoness could have played a magic card to add some more pain to Ichigo, she'd prefer to see if he could rise up his hopes a little. "End turn." ("After all, destroying someone is only fun when they feel like they have a chance.")

"Draw!" Ichigo's yell was lackluster though. The severity of this situation was weighing down on him and he was starting to understand where exactly he stood in comparison to Eri. And it wasn't very high up. "I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn." He couldn't believe that all of his experience in dueling was useless. Though he wasn't exactly an expert, he didn't consider himself a rookie either. Against Eri though he knew the truth…she was his better.

Grimacing, Eri drew. "Sheesh…you're a waste of air. I summon Demon Converter (700/500) in attack mode." A demon in priestly white robes appeared on the field. "And then I'll combine him with the equipment magic card Black Soul Sword, raising his attack by 1000 points per demon sub-type monster on the field." A jet-black scimitar appeared in the grasp of the monster. (2700/500) "Now say your last good-byes to whatever monster you had set!" Cackling, the Demon Converter launched across the field and slashed right through the face-down monster.

"Hellmare, follow up with a direct attack!" In one blast of phantom fire, Ichigo was down to his last 100 life points.

Ichigo- 100

Eri- 4000

"I end my turn with the hope that you pick up your act quickly." Eri crossed her arms across her chest, waiting for Ichigo to make his move.

Amidst the pain from the blows he had sustained, Ichigo could barely find a single sliver of hope left. ("Looks like I'm gonna lose again…and this time I probably won't walk away from it.")

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Not but ten feet away from where the two demons were dueling, a single carving in the stone was now glowing. And if someone had noticed it, they would have seen the cracks appearing in its surface.

_To be continued…_

Author's Notes: Alright, I have a paper that needs writing. It's finals time for me, so while I'll try to write some chapters I can't promise you anything.


	13. Ichigo's comeback

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 13: Ichigo's comeback

"_I end my turn with the hope that you pick up your act quickly." Eri crossed her arms across her chest, waiting for Ichigo to make his move._

_Amidst the pain from the blows he had sustained, Ichigo could barely find a single sliver of hope left. ("Looks like I'm gonna lose again…and this time I probably won't walk away from it.")_

And yet Ichigo had to admit that he still hadn't drawn from his deck. ("Of course…what cards do I have that would give me the necessary strength to make a recovery from the fact that I have only 100 life points left and Eri has 4000?") He shrugged weakly and drew. One quick glance at the card and he felt his hopes rise just a little. "I play the magic card Graceful Charity!" Above his field an angel appeared, and from her hands a glowing light floated down into his deck. "Now I can draw three cards, just as long as I discard two!"

In one smooth move he slid three cards off of his deck and then added the single card in his hand to them. When he noticed what two of the cards were, he smiled slyly. Taking the two cards from one side of the four he discarded them into his graveyard slot. "I summon Silent Swordsman Level 0 (1000/1000) in attack mode!" In a flash of light a short little child wearing a blue and white overcoat appeared on his field. It glared at Eri and her two demons, shouldering its heavy sword and waiting for further orders from Ichigo.

"Also, I set one card face-down on my field." Ichigo had no cards in his hand now, but he was confident that what he had on his field would be enough. "End turn."

Eri threw back her head and laughed wildly, sending chills down the spines of Ichigo and the four members of their audience. "What's that little midget with a sword going to do? Come over and confuse my monsters with his flailing? He doesn't even look like he can use that sword properly."

"Insult him all you want Eri, but he is a part of the plan that will take you down." Ichigo felt his confidence slowly return. The fact that the collar around his neck was warping his emotions didn't help, but the half-demon's will was strong enough to resist the worst of the magic.

Eri drew slowly. "I'm going to show you that you're not quite as clever as you think." The drawn card was added to her hand and another one was slid into her duel disk. "I activate one of my rarer magic cards, Death Meteor!" A black vortex appeared in the sky above her. "This magic card will blast you for 1000 life points of damage. Considering the fact that you only have 100 life points, you're about to lose without getting a chance to do your little plan." Letting out a strange pop noise, the vortex unleashed a fireball the size of a car that rocketed across the field towards Ichigo.

"Ichigo!" Krieger and Griff both yelled, eyes wide at the thought of their friend getting roasted alive.

Calmly, Ichigo motioned to the card he had set last turn. "What makes you think my plan is that easy to get around?" It flipped up and the fireball slid to a stop. After hovering in mid-air for a few seconds, the Death Meteor disappeared.

Growling, Eri clenched her fist angrily at the sight of her opponent defusing her magic card. "What did you do!?"

Ichigo's sly smile returned and he motioned to his face-up card. "I activated the quickplay magic card Time Jump. Think of it as a way to get out of most sticky situations. When it activates in chain to other cards, those cards simply get negated. Also, the turn count is sped up by three."

Eri's eyes shimmered in that hellish crimson-gold color that made her seem so evil. "Fine! I was trying to do you a favor, but screw it…I'll kill your…" Her eyes widened in complete surprise at what was standing on Ichigo's field. The Silent Swordsman was now a couple of feet taller, and it looked much more mature. "How in the hell…"

The half-demon grinned. "Allow me to explain. Silent Swordsman is a level up monster, meaning that when certain requirements are achieved it gains one level star and 500 attack/defense points. I'll give you a wild guess what Silent Swordsman's requirement is."

Eri's fair skin paled visibly. "The passage of time…"

"Bingo," Ichigo gave her a thumbs-up. "For every turn that passes on my field, Silent Swordsman gains one level and 500 attack/defense points. If my math is right, that makes him Silent Swordsman Level 3 thanks to my Time Jump card!" (2500/2500)

The demoness fully understood just how much of a threat that monster was. Very shortly it would become more powerful than even her strongest monster, Behemoth of the Night. (3500/3000) ("I have to kill it now!") "Demon Converter, attack his Silent Swordsman!" Cackling, the demonic priest launched across the field with the Black Soul Sword ready to cut right through Ichigo's warrior. (2800/500)

Ichigo and the Silent Swordsman both narrowed their eyes as one. "Reverse card open!" The half-demon's other face-down card flipped up, and from it a burst of blinding light filled the field. "My trap card is Essence of the Day, which reduces the attack points of all dark attribute monsters on the field by 1000 points for one turn!"

Eri wanted to scream in rage as her Demon Converter lost the power necessary to defeat the Silent Swordsman. That wasn't all though, because she had already declared an attack with her monster. The Demon Converter snapped the scimitar in an arc for Ichigo's warrior, only to have the blow calmly blocked. (1800/500)

"Silent Swordsman counter-attack! Sword of Silence Level three!" In two quick snaps of its blade, the Silent Swordsman had carved both the Demon Converter and the Black Soul Sword into equal halves.

Ichigo- 100

Eri- 3300

As the pieces of Eri's demon exploded, the bits were sucked into the Ichigo's Urn of Soul Storage. (4 Ichigo's monsters/1 Eri's monsters)

With such a powerful monster on the field, Eri was left with no choice. "I set one monster face-down and switch Hellmare into defense mode!"

Right before he drew, Ichigo made a mental note to do some manual labor for the school store owner when he saw him next. ("If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have Time Jump or Silent Swordsman.") "My turn…draw!" The half-demon pulled the top card off of his deck and held it in front of his face. His Silent Swordsman grew taller and more mature looking, its level jumping up to four. (3000/3000)

"Sword of Silence Level four!" In one quick swing of its blade Eri's Hellmare had ceased to exist, its soul sucked into Ichigo's Urn. (4 Ichigo's monsters/ 2 Eri's monsters) "Then I set one card face-down. End turn."

Eri felt the pressure building on her to draw a powerful card. As long as Silent Swordsman was on the field then she was completely outgunned. And with that Urn stealing the souls of her monsters, she couldn't sacrifice them while they were in the graveyard. Shaking off the feeling of impending doom, the demoness drew. "I set one card and end my turn."

Ichigo drew. His swordsman grew even more experienced looking. (3500/3500) "I attack with Silent Swordsman Level 5!" The warrior lunged across the field and slashed through Eri's monster, the now deceased monster's soul getting sucked into Ichigo's Urn. (4 Ichigo's monsters/3 Eri's monsters) "End turn."

Frowning at the cards in her hand, Eri snapped the top card off of her deck. ("I can't be defeated by Ichi-chan! I can just imagine what payback he has in mind for me if he wins.") Her lips pursed at the drawn card and she nodded to herself, sliding it into her disk. "I play the magic card Hellish Shroud! Now I will draw cards off the top of my deck until I have two monsters. I pick one and it goes to the field, while the other goes back into my deck. The rest of the cards are discarded to the graveyard!" A curtain made of red muscle tissue appeared on her field.

The first card from her deck was slid into her graveyard, as were the third and fourth. Looking between the second and fifth cards, the demoness sneered coldly and slapped it onto her disk. "I summon Chaos Shaman (500/500) to the field in defense mode!" With a loud squishing noise, the curtain swept back to reveal a black-robed monster with a bone mask concealing its face. "I'm sure you remember what his ability is, right?" Her cold smile was bone-chilling. "At the end of each turn I keep drawing from my deck until I come to a monster. You lose half of the monster's attack points in life."

Ichigo gritted his teeth at that reminder. If Eri drew anything with 200 or more attack points then the Chaos Shaman would blow away the rest of his life points.

Chuckling icily, the demoness shuffled the other monster card into her deck. After she placed her deck back into her disk she drew one card. "The other monster was Trapped Soul (500/500) and when it is shuffled back into my deck I get to draw one card." After glancing at the card she snickered and inserted it into a disk slot. "Before my turn ends though, I'm going to play the magic card Nightmare Steel Cage!" All around Ichigo's field a huge jet-black steel cage appeared. "Now you won't be able to attack for two turns."

If Ichigo had been able to get any paler he'd have been dead. ("Oh great…there goes my advantage.")

"End…turn." Eri snapped the top card off of her deck. Smiling coldly, she held up the drawn card. "Bone Sorcerer (450/600) means that you are finished. By Ichi-chan." The Chaos Shaman lifted one hand and unleashed a bolt of black lightning that sailed across the field towards the half-demon.

"Reverse card open!" Ichigo managed to yell right before the lightning could hit him. A circle of green light flared up around him, blocking the lightning bolt. "Pikeru's Circle of Enchantment makes me immune to effect damage for one turn." Though he tried to sound confident, Ichigo couldn't ignore the beads of sweat developing on his forehead. ("I'm glad I got that out of one of my packs. Unfortunately, I think I'm out of tricks at this point.")

"My turn…draw!" Ichigo snapped the top card off of his deck and flipped it up so he could get a look at it. ("Another of the rare cards I got.") He slid it into his disk. "Silent Swordsman is now level six." (4000/4000) "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Eri sneered. "Aw…couldn't you get around the Nightmare Steel Cage, Ichi-chan?" She drew and slid the card into her disk. "I'll play the player equipment magic card Necklace of Souls." A beautiful jeweled necklace appeared around her neck. "Using its effect, I can shuffle one card from my hand into my deck during my standby phase to raise my life points by 500. If the card is a monster, you lose 100 life points for each of its level stars." With that said, she shrugged innocently. "Of course, since you are about to lose, who cares? End turn."

Her hand pulled the top card off of her deck and she smirked. "I have drawn Twisted Fiend (1900/700) and that means that Chaos Shaman is about to deal you 950 life points of damage!"

Ichigo saw this as his only chance to make a come-back. "I open my face-down card, Reversal of Fortune!"

"Reversal of Fortune!?" The demoness knew all about that trap card, and its special powers.

The face-up card spat out a large golden die that bounced around the field. "That's right, Reversal of Fortune. When it is activated I roll a six-sided die. Whatever number comes up decides which of six special effects I get." With one loud thud the die landed on a two. "Alright! Now all magic and trap cards on the field will be destroyed. Not only that, but I'll gain 500 life points for each destroyed card!" Above him, the Nightmare Steel Cage crumbled, as did his Urn.

Eri hissed in anger as her necklace and face-down card shattered.

Ichigo- 2100

Eri- 3300

The half-demon motioned to white and black clouds of mist that filtered out of the Urn. "That's not all though, because we both gain life points equal to the number of souls sealed in the urn times 100 points." The white mist filtered into his graveyard, while the black mist did the same for Eri.

Ichigo- 2500

Eri- 3600

Trying to control the overwhelming rage that threatened to break her fairly calm exterior, Eri savagely pointed at Ichigo. "Taste the power of my Chaos Shaman!" The black-robed spellcaster unleashed a wave of black lightning that slammed into Ichigo.

Ichigo- 1550

Eri- 3600

Chuckling calmly, Ichigo tried to ignore the stinging pain in his ribs and acrid smoke that reached his nose. "My turn…draw." In a flash of light Silent Swordsman now looked like a battle-worn veteran, his sword nicked and worn. (4500/4500) "Sword of Silence Level seven!" Nodding solemnly, the warrior lunged forward and slashed through Eri's Chaos Shaman. "End turn."

Glaring at her opponent, Eri drew. "Now that your pain in the ass urn is gone, I can remove three demon sub-type monsters from my graveyard to special summon Dark Necrofear (2200/2800) in defense mode." A blue-skinned female vampire appeared on her field in a crouching position. "End turn." Eri knew she was taking a gamble, but there was little else that she could do at the moment.

Ichigo drew. "Silent Swordsman Level 7 becomes Silent Swordsman Level 8." (5000/5000) Glancing at the drawn card, he placed it on his disk face-down. "I set one monster in defense mode, and one card face-down. End turn."

Eri growled quietly. ("He knows what Dark Necrofear's ability is. And as long as it is on the field, he won't be attacking.") She drew. "I switch Dark Necrofear into attack mode and I'll attack your face-down monster!" The vampire stood up and from its eyes came a pair of red beams of light. "Also, I'm playing the magic card Ghost of Rage! This will force your monster to stay in attack mode!"

The face-down monster shimmered and appeared on the field in attack mode. It was a glowing sphere of light. (500/500)

Eri couldn't believe her luck. When Necrofear destroyed Ichigo's Mystic Shine Ball his life points would drop to zero. "This is the end for you!"

"Not yet it isn't!" Ichigo face-down card flipped up. "I activate Monster Recovery!" The Mystic Shine Ball faded away, and the twin beams of red light from Dark Necrofear shot right through where it had been, continuing on to zip just a few inches past the half-demon's face. While he did flinch, he managed to conceal the action beneath the fact that he had evaded her killing blow. "Now I shuffle both my hand and my Mystic Shine Ball into my deck. Then I draw one card for every card in my hand." Picking up the monster card, he mixed it and his single hand card into his deck. Right after he finished he drew one card.

The demoness knew that she had switched her Necrofear into attack mode to provide Ichigo with incentive to come after it. "I set one card face-down on the field and end my turn."

Using his forearm to wipe away a droplet of sweat, Ichigo drew. "Silent Swordsman Level 8 becomes Silent Swordsman Level 9." (5500/5500) The warrior now looked like it had fully mastered its skill as a swordsman, and by the determined look in its eye it was ready to do battle with Eri's Necrofear. ("But if he does then Eri will get control of him at the end of the turn.") "I set two cards face-down and end my turn." Silent Swordsman glanced back at him questioningly, but knew that it could trust its master.

Eri drew. ("I'm in trouble now. Nothing in my deck can beat that damned Swordsman of his.") Frowning, she turned Dark Necrofear's card from attack to defense mode. On the field the vampire dropped to one knee again. "I switch Dark Necrofear into defense mode and end my turn."

"Draw!" Ichigo drew. "Silent Swordsman Level 9 becomes Silent Swordsman Level 10!" (6000/6000) Once again the warrior lifted its sword in preparation for battle. "End turn." Pouting, Silent Swordsman lowered its blade.

("I must turn this around before he gets too many cards in his hand and finds a safe path around my monster!") Eri snapped the top card off of her deck. "I play the magic card Living Death." She removed her deck from its slot, took a card from her hand, and shuffled it into the stack of cards. "First I shuffle a monster from my hand into my deck." Her lithe hand reached into the graveyard slot of her disk and fished out a card. "Then I may take one dark attribute monster from my hand and special summon it to the field." Smiling calmly, she placed the selected card onto her disk. "I re-summon Chaos Shaman to the field!" The darkness around them formed into the shape of her dark spellcaster. "End turn." Sneering, her hand slid the top card off of her deck and held it up for Ichigo to see. "I have drawn Behemoth of the Night (3500/3000) and that means you're dead!" From within the cupped palms of the Chaos Shaman a huge ball of black lightning appeared. "DIE!"

Ichigo motioned to one of his face-down cards. "Reverse card open! Emergency Provisions lets me gain life points equal to the number of magic/trap cards on my field that I sacrifice!" His single remaining face-down card exploded.

Ichigo- 2550

Eri- 3600

The Chaos Shaman cackled crazily and hurled the lightning ball across the field.

Ichigo- 800

Eri- 3600

Now Eri was done being the calm, collected duelist. Both of her eyes had developed an angered twitch, and she was snarling loudly. "What does it take to make you die!?"

Ichigo shrugged innocently and drew. "I don't know. Silent Swordsman Level 10 becomes Silent Swordsman Level 11!" (6500/6500)

From off to the side, Griff whistled loudly at the sight of the mighty warrior that was under Ichigo's control. "Sheesh…that thing puts all other monsters to shame."

Krieger shook his head. "Attack points don't matter if Ichigo can't use them against his opponent."

"Go Eri-san, you can beat him!" yelled Sammy from off to the side.

"He's no match for you!" Erika threw in.

"Yeah…go Ichigo." Griff said nonchalantly.

"Thanks for the support, jerk," muttered Ichigo. "I set one monster in defense mode and attack your Chaos Shaman with my Silent Swordsman! Sword of Silence Level Eleven!" In one slash the dark-robed spellcaster was no more. "I'll end my turn by setting one card face-down."

Eri was sick and tired of this crap. "I'm going to destroy you!" Drawing, she slid the card into her disk. "I activate Book of the Dead! Now I'll draw cards from my deck until I come to a monster. That creature will be special summoned to my field, while the rest of the drawn cards will be discarded." The first card she drew appeared on her field. "Scratch that, I suppose. Bone Sorcerer in defense mode." A bone-robed magician appeared on her field in a crouching position. "End turn."

Ichigo drew slowly from the top of his deck. "One of us is going to deck eventually, and it won't be me. Oh, and Silent Swordsman Level 11 becomes Silent Swordsman Level 12!" (7000/7000) Glancing at the drawn card, the half-demon grinned. "I play the magic card Warrior Returning Alive to pick up Gearfried the Iron Knight (1800/1600) from my graveyard and play it onto the field!" The black-steel armored knight appeared once again on the field. "Attack the Bone Sorcerer, Gearfried!" Seconds later, Eri's monster was long gone.

Eri picked up the Bone Sorcerer and shuffled it into her deck. "Bone Sorcerer's special ability activates now. I shuffle it into my deck, and then draw cards until I reach a monster. That monster is summoned to the field, though it may not attack." She slid the top card off of the deck and frowned. "I summon Behemoth of the Night in defense mode." A hulking 30' tall creature appeared on the field in a crouching position.

Ichigo grinned. "I've always wanted to kill that damned thing. Silent Swordsman Level 12, attack the Behemoth of the Night! Sword of Silence Level Twelve!" The master warrior on the half-demon's field launched forwards and easily filleted the towering demon. "End turn."

Eri drew and set one card face-down. "I'll just set this monster card and end my turn."

Ichigo rubbed his eyes with one hand and drew. "This is getting pretty slow. Silent Swordsman Level 12 becomes Silent Swordsman Level 13." (7500/7500) "I set one card face-down and attack your defense mode monster with Gearfried the Iron Knight!" He smiled slightly as the black-armored warrior cut through the defense monster with ease.

Eri picked the card up and shuffled it into her deck. "Bone Sorcerer once more." The first drawn card from her deck appeared on the field in the form of a golden ghost. "I summon Sanctified Soul (100/100) in defense mode."

Ichigo knew what that monster did. "When it dies we both draw until there are six cards in our hand. Silent Swordsman, go and get me some cards!" Nodding, the super-charged warrior charged forward and slashed right through the golden ghost.

Both demons slid cards off their deck until they had six apiece.

Ichigo grasped one card and placed it face-down on his disk. "I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Eri had already seen the cards in her hand, and she knew exactly what she was going to do to destroy this pitiful dog. Her hand removed another card from her deck. "I now have over three different ways to destroy you in my hand. Ready for them?" Her cold smile said that she didn't care if he was or not. "Now…I'll start with this…"

_To be continued…_

Author's Notes: Why did I stop there, you might ask? Because….BWHAHAHAHHAHA!!!!


	14. Breaking the First Seal

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 14: Breaking the First Seal

_Both demons slid cards off their deck until they had six apiece._

_Ichigo grasped one card and placed it face-down on his disk. "I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn."_

_Eri had already seen the cards in her hand, and she knew exactly what she was going to do to destroy this pitiful dog. Her hand removed another card from her deck. "I now have over three different ways to destroy you in my hand. Ready for them?" Her cold smile said that she didn't care if he was or not. "Now…I'll start with this…"_

"The magic card Sword that Seals the Dead!" The magic card appeared on her field, and from within it came a straight sword with a skull at the cross hilt.

Ichigo didn't seem very worried. "What's an equipment magic card going to do to me?"

"Who ever said that it was an equipment magic card?" Eri motioned to the Silent Swordsman. "It's a magic card that will disable your pitiful warrior and leave you wide open to defeat!" The sword sailed through the air and pierced into the Silent Swordsman, pinning him to the ground. He let out one shuddering groan of pain, and then turned to stone. "My Sword that Seals the Dead cannot be destroyed by magic, trap or monster effects. It will only go to the graveyard when a monster on your field is destroyed. Until you meet those requirements though, your Silent Swordsman is sealed away."

("Oh no…without my Silent Swordsman, Eri is going to rip me apart with her higher attack monsters.") Ichigo tried to push down his rising fear with the reminder that he had his two face-down cards to help deal with the demoness' creatures.

Snickering at the look of fear on her opponent's face, Eri motioned to Dark Necrofear. "Now I sacrifice Dark Necrofear to summon Soul Burner!" (2200/1800) A hideously deformed red ghost appeared on her field. "As you should remember, I may shuffled cards from my hand into my deck to deal you 100 life points of damage per shuffled card. I think I'll do that now." Taking one single card from her hand, the demoness shuffled it into her deck. Letting out an anguished wail, the Soul Burner spat out a fireball that slammed into Ichigo's chest.

Ichigo- 700

Eri- 3600

"I'll end my turn by setting three cards face-down on my field." Eri slid three of her four hand cards into her disk, filling up her field with magic and traps. ("If he tries to so much as breathe the wrong way, I'll flip one of my face-down cards and end this duel.")

Ichigo drew slowly, trying to find that sliver of hope that was nestled deep in his thoughts. ("I've still got the advantage…I know I do!") "I set one card face-down on my field. End turn." ("If she destroys Gearfried, she'll release my Silent Swordsman and I can wipe her out!")

Eri drew. ("He thinks I'm still afraid of his puny swordsman?") "I summon Twisted Fiend (1900/700) in defense mode." A horrible undead black lizard appeared on her field. "He's going to drain 300 life points from both of us." Hissing, the fiend snapped its head around and bit down on Eri's shoulder. Her only response was to sigh quietly while the monster drained her blood. "And now it's your turn to contribute to the cause, Ichi-chan."

Ichigo threw up his arms in a vain attempt to ward off the suddenly charging lizard, but when its jaws bit down on his right limb, he wished that he had just held still.

Ichigo- 400

Eri- 3300

Eri pointed at Gearfried. "Soul Burner, destroy his knight and end this duel." Moaning sadly, the ghost floated across the field to cut down Ichigo's monster.

Though tired, the half-demon still had enough strength to push down on a button of his duel disk. "Reverse card open! Activate Graceful Dice!" A little angel holding onto a blue die appeared in the air above his field. "Now I'll roll this die and increase Gearfried's attack strength by the number rolled times 100 points!" The angel dropped the die, which clattered around and landed on a three. "Perfect!" (2100/1900)

Eri raised an eyebrow in confusion, while her Soul Burner slashed through Gearfried's steel armor and destroyed him. "Why would you be happy that your monster was….eeep." She bit her lower lip as her Sword that Seals the Dead shattered, and the Silent Swordsman turned back into flesh.

Ichigo- 300

Eri- 3300

Chuckling, Ichigo motioned to his now freed Silent Swordsman. "That's why I'm happy that Gearfried got destroyed. Thanks to the effect of Sword that Seals the Dead, now my Silent Swordsman is back on the field. Ready for the end?"

"Not quite yet, fool." Eri glanced at the one remaining card in her hand, and smiled slyly. "End turn."

"My turn…draw!" Ichigo drew and thumbed over to his warrior. "Silent Swordsman Level 13 becomes Silent Swordsman Level 14!" (8000/8000) "It was nice knowing you Eri! Silent Swordsman attack Soul Burner! Sword of Silence Level Fourteen!" Giving a grunt of understanding, the warrior hefted his huge sword and launched across the field, slashing through Eri's monster with ease.

Ichigo- 300

Eri- 3300

"What!?" yelled Griff, Krieger and Ichigo all at once.

Snickering, Eri slid her Soul Burner into the graveyard. "Did you really think that I would run something like Soul Burner if its only special ability was that it dealt damage when I shuffled cards into my deck? Of course not, Ichi-chan." She giggled sweetly, while her graveyard spat out five cards. "When Soul Burner is destroyed in battle I take no damage. Also, now five random cards from my graveyard will be shuffled into my deck." Picking up the five cards, she shuffled them into her deck without looking at them. "And thanks to that the only one out of the two of us that is in danger of decking out would be you, wouldn't it?"

Ichigo didn't reply. ("Crap….how many tricks do you have up your sleeve? Well now I'm going to turn this around.") "I set one card face-down and one monster in defense mode. End turn."

Eri drew. "It's so funny how you think that your little Silent Swordsman is the answer to everything. Don't you understand that physical strength isn't everything?" After glancing at the drawn card she laughed calmly, and tapped a button on her disk. "I activate my face-down magic card, Dark Scrying! With its effect I shuffled my hand into my deck, and then draw cards off the top of my deck until I come to an equal number of magic cards." With incredible speed her two cards were into her deck and two more cards had replaced them. "Finally, the rest of the cards that weren't magic cards get shuffled into my deck again." Once more her deck was shuffled. "End turn."

("How many cycling cards does she run anyway!?") Ichigo drew. "Silent Swordsman upgrades to Level 15!" (8500/8500)

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The craving in the stone had fairly recently been showing signs of damage. At this point it looked like it was about to crumble into dust at any second now. From within the ancient writing something stirred, awoken by powers that it had not sensed for many millennia.

Once again though, everyone was too intent on the duel to notice the glowing mark just ten feet or so away from them.

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Ichigo was ready to end this right now. "I reveal all three of my face-down monsters right now!" One by one he flipped them up.

The first looked like a grey robot made of magnets. "Alpha the Magnet Warrior!" (1400/1700)

Secondly was a pink robot made of magnets. "Gamma the Magnet Warrior!" (1500/1800)

His third monster was a burly warrior with a claymore sword. "Warrior of Zera!" (1600/1600)

"Yeah, he's going for game!" Griff leapt up from the spot he had been sitting in. "Go Ichigo! Take her down!"

Eri threw back her head and laughed wildly. "What makes you think that you will even get your battle phase this turn!? Reverse card open!" One on the demoness' face-down cards flipped up. "I'll play the quickplay magic card Warped Emotions! This will place a lovely feeling of apathy amongst your army, and they won't feel like attacking for this turn."

Sure enough, all of Ichigo's monsters slumped their shoulders and didn't seem to want to attack this turn.

Eri slid four cards off of her deck. "The second effect of Warped Emotions is that I may draw one card for every monster on your field, but I must then discard that same number of cards." Looking through the new cards in her hand, she tittered and discarded four.

Ichigo wasn't sure what would make her act so unscary, but he wasn't sure he wanted to find out. "Looks like I end my turn."

Grinning calmly, the demoness drew. "I switch Twisted Fiend into attack mode." The demonic lizard came to its feet and snarled. "Now say your last good-byes to freedom! Twisted Fiend, attack Alpha and wipe out his life points!"

"Hang on Eri, I've got a trap card for you! Reveal Compensation of Arbitration!" He pulled the card out of his disk and flicked it across the field to Eri. "Now select two cards from your graveyard, and then shuffled them together with my trap card. After you do that I pick one. If I'm wrong, the two chosen cards from your graveyard go into your hand. If I'm right, the chosen cards go on top of your deck and your battle phase ends."

The demoness rolled her eyes at how useless of a trap this was. "What a waste of time for you. Why would you put this in your deck?"

"How about you pick your cards, Eri?" Ichigo gritted his teeth angrily, wishing he still had his original deck.

"Fine, whatever…." Within just a few seconds Eri had the two cards of her choice within her hands. "Death Meteor and Black Lightning. If you get this wrong…" Her cold smile told him exactly what he feared. If he guessed the wrong card, then his defeat would be instant.

Nodding, Ichigo watched her shuffle the three cards together and then fan them out. "I think that Compensation of Arbitration is the center card."

Grimacing, Eri flicked the trap across the field to its owner. "Don't get your hopes up, Ichi-chan." The field shimmered and reset, skipping her battle phase and leaving her in her second main phase. Taking the Death Meteor and Black Lightning, the demoness placed them on top of her deck.

Without skipping a beat a card from her hand was slid into her disk. "I'll just reactivate an old favorite, Sword that Seals the Dead!" The horrible undead blade appeared again and stabbed right into Silent Swordsman again. "So once more your monster will be sealed until a creature under your control is destroyed."

"Finally, I sacrifice my Twisted Fiend to summon a monster in face-down defense mode." The lizard monster disappeared and was replaced by a face-down card. "End turn."

Ichigo drew, feeling like he was just a step from death's door. ("If this card doesn't give me something to get around her monster, then I'm toast.") He looked at the card and saw that there might still be hope for him yet. "I reveal my set magic card, Gambit of Knowledge!" He slid two cards from his hand into the same slot as the magic card. "Now I can send any number of cards in my hand out of it for three turns. At the end of those three turns I pick those cards back up and draw an equal number of cards." He slid another card from his hand into his disk. "Then I set one card face-down."

Throughout all of this, Eri was praying that Ichigo tried to make an attack against her monster. ("If he does, it's all over for him.")

("Now I have to take a risk.") Ichigo's Warrior of Zera disappeared from the field. "I sacrifice Warrior of Zera to summon Penumbral Soldier Lady (2100/1400) in attack mode!" A woman wearing armor stylized with moon symbols appeared on his field. "Attack her face-down monster!" Yelling out a battle cry, the warrior woman launched forwards with her sword held up to destroy Eri's monster and clear the way to her life points.

"It's been fun playing with you Ichi-chan, but now it's time for you to die!" Eri discarded the last card in her hand, while one of her two face-down cards flipped face-up. "I discard one card from my hand to activate the trap card Nightmare Mirror!" A huge full-body mirror appeared between the Penumbral Soldier Lady and Eri's face-down monster. Smoke filled the inside of the reflective surface, hiding whatever was inside from view. "This trap will negate your attack, and instead of my monster feeling pain another target on the field will." The demoness motioned to the inside of the mirror, where the smoke was fading away. "Now let's see exactly who the poor sap is, shall we?"

The reflection within the mirror was of none other than Ichigo himself.

Continuing her battle cry, the warrior lady drove her sword tip into the mirror…and right through Ichigo's reflection.

The real Ichigo collapsed to his knees and screamed loudly, as an incredible pain sprang up in his chest.

Licking her lips at the sound of those delicious screams, Eri started her explanation. "Though you're actually only taking 1000 life points of damage from my trap, which will be enough to end this game."

From the center of Ichigo's chest, a bright red spot of blood began to build as he felt the pain of his monster's sword being stabbed into his chest. "Damn…."

Eri snickered at the gasps of pain Ichigo released. "What's the matter, hanyou? Don't think that you can handle the pain of losing? Well get used to it, because that is all you will ever experience if this is your absolute best."

Ichigo was too busy trying to stall off the pain as the darkness drove an invisible sword through his ribs to argue.

"Your existence is a detriment to the demon race. Why do you even exist? Can you answer that question for me? I'd love to know, while you still have the capabilities of speech. Trust me, after your life points hit zero the gift of speech won't be yours anymore."

"I…I…" Ichigo gritted his teeth as the wound opening is his chest grew larger. "I…"

Eri sneered, "Aw, he's trying to form his first words. Or his last words, I suppose. You should have accepted your first loss, because this time I won't be as merciful as before."

With a deafening crack, the Nightmare Mirror shattered.

Ichigo- 0

Eri- 3300

"And now Ichigo Pilkington, your life ends here and now! As my penalty…."

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The symbol cracked open, and from within it a single mote of light erupted that inconspicuously flew over to Ichigo's deck, sliding through the cards until it found a suitable spot to rest. _("I have found you…master.")_

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"…you will remain…" Eri's next words caught in her throat as Ichigo disappeared within a sudden fountain of golden light that erupted from his deck. "What the hell!?"

Ichigo- 1200

Eri- 3300

Off to the sidelines, Krieger and Griff couldn't believe it. They'd never seen someone come back from zero life points before.

Eri didn't believe it either. "This has to be a violation of the rules. I still get my penalty game on you!"

Deep within the light, Ichigo could barely hear her. ("It's so warm…and the pain is gone. Why do I feel like I'm reborn? It's almost like I have another lease on life.") Glancing at the card that had appeared in his hands, he understood to an extent what had happened. "When you brought my life points to zero you activated the special ability of this continuous magic card I have!"

"Continuous magic card!? You never had a continuous magic card on your field!!!" Eri's eyes shimmered hell red in the darkness that had seemed to retreat to her side of the field in an attempt to get away from the light.

"That's where you're wrong, Eri. This magic card activates from my deck or hand when my life points hit zero. It gives me a life point increase of 100 points for every monster in the graveyard." Ichigo felt his confidence returning, albeit he felt very strange.

The light was pushed aside as a pair of huge feathery wings snapped outwards from within the fountain.

Eri nearly choked on her tongue at the new occurrence. "What….what is this card called!?"

As quickly as the light appeared, it was gone. The wings also followed suit, though there was now a subtle golden glow over Ichigo's field.

Everyone on both the side-line and in the arena, Ichigo excluded, felt a variety of mixed emotions at the sight that greeted them when the light had died down. Amongst the most powerful of those emotions was confusion.

Ichigo felt too refreshed to immediately notice. "The card's name is Blessings of Luna!" Grinning, the half-demon threw his friend's a thumbs-up to make it seem like he had planned this all along. Honestly though, he had no idea how this was possible or why it had happened. "What do you guy's think of my secret strategy?"

Krieger, Griff, Sammy and Ashley all looked completely dumbfounded. Eri just stared stupidly at him.

("What are all of them looking at?") "Is there something I missed?"

"…..Ichigo? Is that….you?" Griff pinched himself a couple of times just to be sure he wasn't dreaming.

"Of course it's me!" The half-demon was getting annoyed now. So he made a comeback from zero life points, that wasn't so big of a deal.

Krieger gulped and took a couple of seconds to collect his thoughts. "Where did you get that card?" He sounded very much shaken.

Ichigo shrugged and slid the card into his disk, reactivating it and filling the field with that golden glow. "What does it matter? With this thing and the powers it grants me, I'm going to take Eri down once and for all."

Griff frowned and crossed his arms across his chest. "Do you even have the slightest clue why we are staring at you?"

"Is it because I am such a handsome rascal?" Ichigo replied jokingly.

"Nooo…why don't you stop for a second and check yourself."

Rolling his eyes, Ichigo sighed. "Why would I…" He blinked. "Why…would…I…" Each word came out of his mouth slowly, because they weren't in his voice. "Hmmm….puberty hits hard, I guess."

"Since when did puberty make a guy's voice jump up a few octaves, genius?" Griff had gone from confused and scared to annoyed now.

("He's right…hmmm….")

Eri, her right eye starting to twitch at the fact that her duel was being interrupted, fished a small hand mirror out of her skirt pocket and threw it across the field to Ichigo. "Just get a look at yourself already!"

Ichigo snatched the item out of the air and held it up to his face. The first things to greet him were a pair of deep blue eyes. ("Blue? My eyes are hazel.") A lock of gold hair dropped down into one of said eyes and he brushed it aside. ("Wow….I've heard you can look different when you get older but this is a bit of a stretch.")

From the look on Ichigo's face, he didn't get it.

Both Eri and Griff looked like they were about to explode. "You're a girl!" They both screamed at once.

Ichigo froze up…. "I'm what now?" He sounded very out of it.

"Let me put it in terms that someone with your feeble intelligence can understand." Eri snapped her fingers to catch Ichigo's full attention. "Look down."

In his current mental state, Ichigo did so without question. And instantly regretted it. What greeted him was a slim figure that had certain…parts that could only belong to a…not a boy. ("Durr….durrr……") From atop his head, a pair of now-golden ears started to twitch rapidly as Ichigo started to mentally withdraw.

Eri didn't personally give a damn. "Reverse trap card open! Cemetery Bomb will deal you 100 life points of damage for every card in your graveyard, which should be twenty cards if I am counting right. So you're about to be blown away anyhow!"

Griff grimaced at the now unresponsive Ichigo. ("Forgive me, buddy.") He grabbed a rock from the ground and threw it across the field, the stone striking Ichigo in the side of the head. "Eyes front and center, now!"

Then the half-demon's mind caught up with the events happening around him. "Reverse card open!" One of his two remaining face-down cards flipped up. "Damage Negation field forces me to discard my hand and end my turn, but it will negate any effect that would cause me damage!"

Eri snarled as her trap card faded away. "Damn it…why don't you die!?"

Ichigo understood one thing now. Despite whatever else was happening, he was in the middle of a duel. ("I'll sort this all out right after I sort out Eri.") "Because I'm the light, and darkness can't beat light. The duel's still one Eri, and so am I!"

_To be continued…_

Author's Notes: And so the odd-ball plot-line begins. I'm sure all of you are giving me the "Are you insane?" stare. My answer is yes…yes I am.

To GryphinWyrm7: Your time zone is different than mine. :P

To gohan11: Yes I am evil. I'm the kind of evil that can only come from a fiction writer.

To TheMysticWanderer: Did you not understand when I did it the first time? Well then let me give you a repeat performance of my insane diabolical laughter. BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

To HogwartsKnight: It's cause her parents aren't as good as you'd think. That and she's just an evil bitch at heart.

To Bobbomp and Anime Albino: My apologies for being cruel. I normally aim for just being evil or insane, not cruel.

To Seeker of the Soul: As you can see….weird and strange stuff is happening. If you want a real mystery though, try and figure out why I can write like I do.

To


	15. The 'blessing' of Luna

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 15: The 'blessing' of Luna

_In his current mental state, Ichigo did so without question. And instantly regretted it. What greeted him was a slim figure that had certain…parts that could only belong to a…not a boy. ("Durr….durrr……") From atop his head, a pair of now-golden ears started to twitch rapidly as Ichigo started to mentally withdraw._

_Eri didn't personally give a damn. "Reverse trap card open! Cemetery Bomb will deal you 100 life points of damage for every card in your graveyard, which should be twenty cards if I am counting right. So you're about to be blown away anyhow!"_

_Griff grimaced at the now unresponsive Ichigo. ("Forgive me, buddy.") He grabbed a rock from the ground and threw it across the field, the stone striking Ichigo in the side of the head. "Eyes front and center, now!"_

_Then the half-demon's mind caught up with the events happening around him. "Reverse card open!" One of his two remaining face-down cards flipped up. "Damage Negation field forces me to discard my hand and end my turn, but it will negate any effect that would cause me damage!"_

_Eri snarled as her trap card faded away. "Damn it…why don't you die!?"_

_Ichigo understood one thing now. Despite whatever else was happening, he was in the middle of a duel. ("I'll sort this all out right after I sort out Eri.") "Because I'm the light, and darkness can't beat light. The duel's still on Eri, and so am I!"_

"Yeah, well at least the darkness isn't changing genders randomly, eh Ichi-chan?" Eri made sure to pronounce the 'chan' a little stronger than before. "And since your trap card ended your move, I'm up." She drew.

Ichigo tried to ignore everything around him with reminders that if he didn't win this duel then it didn't matter what had happened to him.

Glancing at the drawn card, Eri sighed. "Oh yes, that's right. Your Compensation of Arbitration trap card caused me to place two cards in my graveyard onto the top of my deck. I have a way around this though. I flip up my face-down monster!" A black-robed form appeared on her field. "Necro Master (1500/1800) possesses a special flip effect that should help me win this duel."

The demoness slid her single card into the graveyard. "By discarding my hand I can search my deck for any magic card and play it immediately." With a sly smile on her face, Eri slid the chosen card into her disk. "So I play Shroud of Midnight, which will prevent you from attacking as long as I have a dark spellcaster monster on my field." A black fabric curtain fell across the boundary between their two fields. "So I end my turn knowing full and well that now I have the unbeatable defense."

Ichigo drew. "Your defense wasn't so unbeatable when I knocked it down last time we dueled." He winced at the high pitch to his voice. ("No! I can't let myself get distracted from my objective. I have to win!") He motioned to the Blessings of Luna that was on his field. "My continuous magic card activates once again, raising my life points by 100 times the number of monsters in the graveyard!" A golden light flowed around him. "I set one card face-down and switch Alpha the Magnet Warrior (1400/1700) and Gamma the Magnet Warrior (1500/1800) into defense mode!" The two robots slid into crouching positions. "End turn."

Ichigo- 2600

Eri- 3300

"As I thought, you have no way to win against my defense." Eri drew. "I summon Bone Sorcerer (450/600) to the field in face-up defense mode. End turn." A pale man in bone robes appeared on her field.

"My turn, draw!" Ichigo snapped the top card off of his deck, once against trying to ignore another new fact about his new body. ("My nails are longer…NO! Focus dammnit!") He looked at the drawn card and then motioned to Blessings of Luna. "Once again my continuous magic card activates." A golden light flowed around him. "End turn."

Ichigo- 4000

Eri- 3300

Eri couldn't believe this. ("She....he is regaining all of his life points thanks to that stupid magic card. I need a way to get rid of it before I lose all of my advantages!") She drew and smirked. "I'm going to wipe you out. First though, I activate the graveyard effect of a card that I discarded to my graveyard when I used Warped Emotions!" A pitch black swirl appeared on her field. "Thanks to this card's ability, I can activate it from my graveyard. The only downside is that I have to remove it from the game when I do! Go Dark Fusion!"

"Dark Fusion?" echoed Ichigo, Griff and Krieger. "What does that do?"

After raising her eyebrow at the strange fact that all three of them had spoken at once, she continued. "Dark Fusion is different from Polymerization because it can be activated from the graveyard. I can fuse two dark attribute monsters together and shuffle them into my deck." Her hand snaked down and scooped up the Bone Sorcerer. "So I fuse Trapped Soul (500/500) and Bone Sorcerer together to create this!"

An anguished howl shook the beachside. "Prepare yourself for one of my ultimate mages!" A phantasmal robed man appeared on her field. Throwing back his head limply, he howled in anguish once more. "This is Master of the Graveyard!" (1000/1000) "And with his special ability I can wipe out your little life gain strategy! First though, I'll draw one card because Trapped Soul was shuffled into my deck." The demoness drew and with a quick glance slapped the card onto her disk. "I resummon Bone Sorcerer to the field in defense mode!" Another pale bone-robed man appeared next to her other two spellcasters.

"And now I'll explain the effect of Master of the Graveyard. Once per turn I may remove two monsters from either player's graveyard to deal you 1000 life points of damage. All I have to do is sacrifice my battle phase, which I intended to skip anyway." Eri snickered and lifted one hand to point at Ichigo's disk. "So let's get rid of Gearfried the Iron Knight and Warrior of Zera!"

Ichigo- 3000

Eri- 3300

"With that my turn is complete." Eri knew that this duel was under her control once again because thanks to her Master of the Graveyard, Ichigo soon wouldn't have anything to draw life points from. Also, very soon those 1000 life point losses would pile up and put the Osiris Red duelist back in the danger zone again.

Ichigo smirked calmly. "Eri, you've lost and you don't even realize it yet."

The demoness refused to take the bait and get angry though. "What was that? You might want to bring the pitch down a few octaves, Ichi-chan. Not all girls should speak so high-pitched."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes slowly. "You want to start aiming for low blows huh? I'll show you just what a bad idea it was for you to seal away my Silent Swordsman a second time. Now I've figured out how to turn your little strategy against you, and thanks to you I'm about to secure my victory!"

"Yeah, you tell her Ichigo!" Krieger yelled from the side-lines, only to be silenced by Ashley and Sammy's glares.

"My turn…draw!" Snickering, Ichigo slid three cards off of his deck. Meanwhile the Blessings of Luna showered him with more life points.

Ichigo- 4200

Eri- 3300

"What are you doing, you cheat?" Eri couldn't believe that Ichigo was trying to cheat in a darkness game. That was incredibly stupid.

"Who's cheating?" Ichigo slid a pair of cards out of one slot in his duel disk. "Remember my Gambit of Knowledge effect? The one where I took cards out of my hand and then in three turns I got back whatever cards I tossed, plus an equal number of draws from my deck." He held up the three drawn cards. "So now I have six cards in my hand. One from my turn start, four from the Gambit of Knowledge, and the one I drew last turn." A slight smile was on his face. "Now then…it's time to show you the third card I pulled from that pack. It's going to be the last as well."

"What pack?" Eri was truly confused now. "Has that magic card of yours screwed with your brain or something?"

"Nope, I'm about as sane as always." Ichigo fished something out of his pocket. It was an empty silver pack wrapper. "I know why this set of cards was so special. They are five random cards that were copied straight out of the deck of the King of Games himself, Yugi Moto."

Grinning, he slid Alpha and Gamma into the graveyard. "And here's the third card I pulled from the five card pack. It's definitely my rarest! I sacrifice Alpha the Magnet Warrior and Gamma the Magnet Warrior to summon this!" A pillar of blue light exploded up into the air, and from within it emerged a titanic dragon with dozens of strange red crystals embedded in its dark blue body. "This is Destructive Dragon Gondola (?/?) in attack mode!"

"Destructive Dragon…Gondola?" Eri wasn't sure how to react. She'd never heard of it before. "Why are its stats question marks!?"

"Because its attack and defense are both moot points." Ichigo smiled slightly and threw Griff and Krieger a thumbs-up. "I enter my battle phase…now!" Gondola roared loudly and from each of its crystals came a bright red light that grew stronger with every second.

"What…what's he doing!?" Eri didn't like surprises, and this definitely counted as a surprise to her. "Well, answer me!"

Taking a deep breath, Ichigo spoke over the strengthening roaring of Gondola. "Destructive Dragon Gondola's special ability allows it to attack all monsters on the field during my battle phase. It will remove every monster on the field but itself from play."

"What!?" Eri couldn't believe that. "There has to be some downside!"

"There is alright, and that is that Gondola costs half of my total life points. Not a big deal considering that I'm about to win." Ichigo brought his gaze up to Gondola. "Special ability activate now! Destruction Scream!" Beams of angry red light fired from every crystal, filling the field with light. When the light faded, all of the monsters on the field were gone excluding Gondola and the Silent Swordsman, who was immune to magic, trap and monster effects because of the Sword that Seals the Dead. "Eri, unluckily for you when Gondola uses its special ability it is destroyed." Gondola roared once more and then exploded into bits of digital powder.

Rubbing her eyes to get rid of the painful glared that was thanks to Gondola's attack, Eri snarled. "What are you babbling about? With your monster dead I'm free to attack your life points next turn if I draw a monster."

"There is no next turn for you Eri. Or have you forgotten the special ability of the Sword that Seals the Dead? Yes it is the perfect way to trap someone's monster, but I think you've forgotten what the requirement is." Ichigo sounded infinitely calm, like his mind was being driven by another force that didn't fear Eri or her darkness.

In fact, the only demon around who was feeling fearful was Erika Amero. "And since Gondola destroys itself…" Her gaze slowly went over to the paralyzed Silent Swordsman. ("Shit…")

"That's right, your sword is gone!" Ichigo smirked while the undead sword exploded. Groaning, the Silent Swordsman stood up to his full height, and gave Eri the darkest glare ever. "I don't think he likes the fact that you tried to trap him with your sword Eri, and he's about to make you pay for it." (8500/8500)

The demoness had experienced many things, but she knew that getting hit for 8500 points of damage in the darkness realm was going to be beyond her realm of resistance when it came to pain. "All right, you win!"

Ichigo didn't feel like being merciful though. "Silent Swordsman Level 15, attack her life points directly!" Nodding eagerly, the master warrior launched across the field and lifted his blade to strike. "Sword of Silence Level Fifteen!" With impossible speed it slammed right through the demoness, sending her to her knees.

Ichigo- 2100

Eri- 0

In between the gobs of blood that she was coughing up, Eri managed to growl out a few selective curses at Daniel Pilkington for spawning such a pain in the ass.

A sharp cough brought her eyes up to meet a pair of deep blue irises. "Erika Amero, you have lost this duel. And the first thing I'm going to do is get this damned collar where it belongs."

There was a flash of light and Eri felt something soft and velvety hugging her neck gently. ("The collar was leather.") When her hand touched her neck, she understood why her new accessory felt so soft. It was a silk choker with a black heart as the clasp. "What in the…"

"Unlike you, I don't feel like being excessively cruel. However, I can't let you get off without having some penalty." Ichigo held his hand out. "My deck, if you please."

Stunned into speechlessness at the sudden act of kindness, Eri mutely pulled Ichigo's old deck out of her skirt pocket and handed it to him.

Turning, the half-demon was about to walk away. Then he had a thought. "There's one more penalty I wish to inflict upon you," he said coldly.

Eri closed her eyes and sighed weakly, knowing it had been too good to be true.

"Repeat after me."

Her eyes widened in confusion. After a few seconds she nodded weakly.

"This world…"

"This…world?" She felt strangely lost. What was he making her say?

"Is made up of…" Ichigo cracked his knuckles, attempting to ignore how soft his hands were now.

"Is made up of…" Eri wanted to whimper, but she controlled herself. ("If he wants to strike me, then so be it. I won't cry out.")

"Love and peace!" Ichigo snapped out his right hand, flashing the victory sign just a few inches from her face.

"Love and peace?" Eri wasn't sure whether she wanted to laugh or faint from the tension.

"You heard me. This world is made up of love and peace!" Ichigo flashed the victory sign once more, and then walked up to Griff and Krieger. Smirking superiorly, he snapped his fingers. "Come on boys, we're out." Giving one more victory sign to his worthy opponent, Ichigo mouthed 'love and peace' to her and walked off.

From his side he heard Griff mutter, "Dude…you're sauntering."

Keeping his eyes straight ahead so no one could see his blush, Ichigo immediately became very conscious of the fact that he was currently female. ("And I'd like to know why that is!") Sighing tiredly, he decided that he would think about it when they got back to their room.

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"Eri-san, speak to us!" Ashley shook her unmoving friend. "What's the matter? Did he hurt you!?"

Sammy frowned unhappily. "I swear if he did…"

Both were brought out of their momentary plots against Ichigo by a sound they had never heard from Eri's mouth. It was laughter. No malice or sarcasm behind it. There was just happy laughter.

"You think she's snapped?" Ashley whispered to Sammy.

"Oh most likely she has. I mean, she's never lost as badly as she did just a few minutes ago," Sammy replied.

Eri's laughter continued for another few minutes, and then she came to her feet. "Let's go." Her face was back to its original cold mask. Without waiting for either of her two friends to respond, she turned around and walked towards the girl's Obelisk Blue dorm.

"Eri-san! What were you laughing about?" Ashley yelled from behind the demoness.

"I learned something important this evening." Eri didn't slow down in the slightest.

"What did you learn?" Sammy was really curious now. Eri never admitted that she learned anything from a duel, because she already believed herself to be the Duel Queen.

This time Eri did stop. She slowly turned around and flashed the victory sign to her two friends. "I learned that perhaps not all boys are bastards." Giving them a gentle wink, she turned back around and continued walking.

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Hitokage Seijitsu couldn't understand why, but he was unable to get to sleep. Something about his encounter earlier had left him very…unsettled.

"_My name is not important at the moment. I have come to warn you that soon the seals will be broken."_

"_The seals? What seals?" Hitokage wasn't nervous, but now he was curious. It was rare that people would just come up to him out of the blue and give bizarre warnings._

"_Explaining would take too much of my already precious time. The only reason I am warning you of this is because you are one of the few beings on this island with enough experience to understand." The man's figure dispersed like mist on the wind, leaving Hitokage alone on the beach once more. _

Looking out the window of his room at the full moon, Hitokage felt something strange. It was like a quiet voice calling him. For a moment he considered slipping out of the dorm and following the strange feeling to its source, but then he thought better of it. It was very late in the evening and if he didn't get some sleep he'd be exhausted tommorow.

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If he had been paying attention, he would have noticed a single black-cloaked form watching him from the top of nearby tree. ("Darkness…must find…darkness.") The hem of the cloak fluttered up enough to reveal a pair of crimson eyes, as well as hints of yellowed bone. ("Must find….darkness.")

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Daniel wasn't sure why, but he was having trouble getting to sleep. "Maybe it was something I ate?" With a sigh he put on his pajamas and opened his window. ("I know I shouldn't, because after all some of the students might be trying to sleep.") His logic lost to his instinct. Throwing back his head he howled to the full moon.

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Ichigo looked at himself in the mirror of the bathroom one more time.

The face that looked back at him was definitely what he would have considered cute. With its deep blue eyes and shoulder-length gold hair, he had to admit that at least he made a cute… ("If I finish that thought, I may as well stop trying to find out why this happened.")

_("Yeah, but the way your ears are thinner and a little pointier is pretty cute, eh?")_ His mental voice whispered to him.

("…………") Ichigo wasn't going to get in a conversation with himself over how cute he was. That would just be bizarre.

_("Like this isn't bizarre?")_

He had to admit his voice was right. Even though he might be half-demon, that didn't mean that he was ready for crazy weird stuff to start happening to him. ("Plus this just tips the scales on weird. We've entered the realm of crazy shit, that we have.") After watching his gold-furred flick for a few minutes, Ichigo finally got bored and decided that he may as well show his face to his roommates.

The very second he opened the door he got a wolf-whistle from Griff. "Looking good, Ichigo." By the grin the bronze-skinned Egyptian boy was giving him that was obviously a joke.

"I'll forgive you for that because it was meant to try and cheer me up." Ichigo put one slim hand on a hip and smirked darkly. "However…if you ever speak to me in such a manner again, Griff Mohistava…I swear that I will smack you around so hard you won't remember how to whistle."

"Just so you know when you get all scary like that you remind me of Eri." Griff replied evenly.

Ichigo considered fulfilling his threat, and then decided that it would be pretty pointless. "Whatever…" Sighing, the half-demon walked over to the window and looked out at the moon. Ever since his duel had ended, Ichigo could have sworn the answer to his problem had something to do with the moon.

"Ichigo, you should have a look at this." Krieger held up the Blessings of Luna card. "The text has changed."

"What's it say?" As much as the half-demon wanted to, he found too much comfort looking at the moon to move right now.

Clearing his throat, Krieger started reading.

"**You who wield the Blessings of the Moon Goddess,"**

"**Upon you the power has been placed,"**

"**Pure-hearted warrior of the summoners,"**

"**Awakened are your senses, and with it comes the knowledge of shadows,"**

"**Now, Sister of the Moon, wield the mother's power and defeat the Nameless Ones."**

Griff stared at the card text from over Krieger's shoulder. "That makes about as much sense as you tend to, Ichigo. And that doesn't account for much."

Ignoring Griff's smart-aleck comment, Ichigo was currently stuck on four words that he'd heard near the end of the text. "Sister of the Moon? What does that mean?"

Krieger rubbed his eyes with one hand. "I think I'm starting to see what happened."

Spinning one of the swivel chairs by the desk around, Ichigo settled down into it. "Explain away, buddy."

"Alright, first off what I'm holding in my hand is some kind of mystical object that derives its power from the moon. Though I'm guessing when I say this, I bet that the darkness game is what woke up this force. And it needed someone to wield it, so it chose you."

"Why me!? Why not Eri? She's female!" Ichigo wasn't sure whether he wanted to tear the Blessings card in half or knock himself unconscious and pray that this is some kind of bad dream that he can wake up from.

Griff, while not really used to this weird supernatural stuff, was pretty sure he knew why. "It's because she's not pure-hearted. Or at least not as pure-hearted as you are. And I guess the Blessing of Luna card decided that instead of trying to make Eri pure-hearted, that it would have an easier time just making you fit the bill."

Ichigo just stared at nothing in particular. The only thing showing that he was even conscious was the occasional flick of his ears.

"I think he's in shock." Krieger slid the Blessing of Luna card back into Ichigo's deck. "You shouldn't let it get you down that much, Ichigo."

Griff frowned and sat back against his pillow. "Krieger my friend, do you have any idea the problems this will cause him? The collar was bad, but at least it was explainable. How's he going to explain to King, as well as the rest of the school, why he is suddenly female? Don't you think that might elicit just the slightest bit of suspicion?"

Ichigo reached over numbly and picked up the deck he had used against Eri. From his pocket came his other deck, his Cyber Shadow deck.

"Umm, Ichigo? What are you doing?" Krieger wasn't sure what was going on in his roommate's head, and honestly he was afraid to ask.

The half-demon sighed loudly, his face lowering out of sight from the action. When it came back into view he was smiling. "Fine, if that's what life has in store for me then who am I to argue?" Spinning around in his seat, Ichigo slammed both decks onto the table. Reaching down under the desk he brought out his box of spare cards. "By the time I'm done I'll be the best Sister of the Moon I can be."

Krieger and Griff stared at him for a few seconds. Then Krieger smiled slightly and decided that he may as well look his deck over. Griff just shook his head at Ichigo. ("This is ridiculous…I mean…how optimistic do you have to be to not break down when something like this happens to you?") Rubbing his eyes with a hand, Griff decided he was going to sleep.

_To be continued…_

Author's Notes: And so the plot semi-thickens, ne? First off, I decided that I'd make this plot a little more light-hearted than my Demon Duelist Legacy ones, because I can only do super-serious and intense so many times before it gets boring. Don't worry, there are plenty of intense battles and confrontations ahead, but at the same time we can't forget that these guys are all students, and as such they won't be dealing with supernatural forces all of the time.

BTW, the voice in Ichigo's head is not like Daniel's 'voice'. (AKA Rikuo)

To Adriel: Am I going to have to bust out the diabolical evil laughter again?

To Seeker of the Soul: Silly indeed. I don't mind semi-serious instead of pure serious. Keep trying to figure out the impossible riddle of why I write like I do. If you come up with a good answer, then you get a cookie!

To Hogwarts-Knight: They'll arrive when I say they arrive, you fool! And now I'll say that in a much more polite fashion. I will introduce more members of the cast as we get to them. I make no promises on speed of arrival though.

To TheChazMan: I missed your strange remarks, my friend. Trust me; I dislike the pulled out of the ss thing as much as most people do.

To The Obsessive Zero Fan: You're a very self-centered guy, you know that right? Actually I had most of this planned, because those who say my plot is predictable are just too smart for their own safety.

To Bobbomp: …………………………………………….

To Anime Albino: Whispers Does he think like this a lot?

To falcon demon general: Thank you, thank you. ::Bows::


	16. The Double Duel' Part 1

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 16: The Double Duel (Part 1)

Ichigo slowly opened his eyes, wishing the sun that was shining in from the window would just go away for another five minutes. Finally, he couldn't stand the glaring light anymore and managed to fall out of bed. ("I hate morning…")

Groaning tiredly, he wandered into the bathroom and flicked on the light. ("And hello once again to….") What greeted him in the mirror wasn't what he expected at all. ("It's…me.") Rubbing his eyes a few times, Ichigo checked again. ("Hazel eyes, brown hair…masculine features.") "I'm me!"

"Of course you're you, who else would you be. Oh wait; I know who else you are. You're the guy who won't be quiet enough to let me sleep!" Griff's voice came from his bed.

Ichigo was too happy see his handsome (at least in his opinion) self again to care. "Yes! I'm me again! I'm me again! Oh happy…" A shoe smacked him in the side of the head. "Right, I'll be quiet Griff."

And so Ichigo Pilkington celebrated the sudden return of his male self with his patented "I'm the best" dance. Though this time he did so quietly.

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A few hours later, Griff and Ichigo were walking towards the site that had been reserved for the double-dueling beginner's class. For the second day of class they were going to have a practice duel against a randomly determined pair of students from the Intermediate double-dueling class. Obviously they weren't meant to win, but Ichigo had a feeling that with his brand new deck he'd succeed. ("I'm going to need to work on a team with Griff though. I hope he understands the basics of team dueling, because I'm kind of new to the concept myself.")

Griff shifted through his deck, smiling at the sight of his five Dark Scorpion Burglars. "Hey Ichigo, not that I'm complaining or anything, but why are you a guy again?"

The half-demon shrugged. "I'm not sure how this whole thing works, so why do you think I even have the slightest idea?"

Griff shrugged back. "We probably shouldn't worry about it then, right?"

"Um…yeah…" Ichigo didn't feel as confident as he should have on that matter. ("What if playing Blessing of Luna is what does it? And since the card activates from my hand or deck when my life points reach zero…") He shivered at the thought of changing into a girl in front of the whole class. ("Whatever…I'll just make sure that my life points never get there.")

"You look nervous. What's the matter Ichigo?" Griff slid his deck into his disk, confident that his strategy was air-tight.

"Take a wild guess, Griff." Shoving his hands into his pocket, Ichigo shook off a few "worst possible situations" that were playing out in his head. "I'm terrified that Blessing of Luna is going to activate and turn me into a girl again."

"Then why are you playing it? Just take it out of your deck." Griff thought the answer sounded simple enough.

"I can't do that either. Something about this card is telling me that I can't take it out of my immediate reach. I dislike the down-sides to it, but you have to admit it is a powerful advantage." Every word that came out of his mouth felt like he was stating the facts. In a way, he was. Another part of Ichigo, though, was telling him he couldn't get rid of the card for other reasons that were beyond his understanding. ("Great…I'm getting screwed with by a card. My life had taken a turn for the weirder in the last two days…")

"Alright man, if that's your opinion on the matter I won't argue with you." Griff brought his mind to the here and now when he saw the grassy field where the other students had already gathered. "Ichigo, I hope you won't let this whole situation you're in affect your dueling."

Though in his mind Ichigo knew that he wouldn't let this affect him, his heart told him otherwise.

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"Next teams up! Ichigo Pilkington and Griff Mohistava versus Hiro Satoshi and Enrique Bishop! Please take your places!" The teacher for the intermediate double-dueling class motioned over to one of the two four-square dueling fields that had been marked in the grass.

Ichigo and Griff both took their positions about ten feet apart from each other. Twenty feet away from them were their two opponents.

Hiro Satoshi was a thin and limber boy who looked to be about seventeen years old or so. Smirking, he loosened his yellow uniform and pulled out a ribbon from inside his coat pocket. A few quick motions later and his ridiculously long brown hair were tied into a ponytail that kept it out of his eyes. He stood across from Ichigo. "So you're the famous 'Blue Osiris' huh?" His duel disk hummed to life. "Well I've been curious as to whether your winnings were because of skill or dumb luck. You don't mind if I find out first-hand, do you?"

"Huh? What'd you say?" Ichigo had been too busy staring off into space.

Hiro grimaced and looked over at Enrique. "How do you wanna do this?"

Enrique Bishop, unlike his dueling partner, was a short dark-skinned Hispanic boy with dark eyes and dark hair. In a few ways he actually seemed exactly like Griff. "Don't worry, I'll handle Mohistava." His heavy Spanish accent nearly made the words impossible to understand. "You can duel your heart out against Pilkington."

"Yo! If you're having trouble remembering, this is a double duel! You have to work as a team with your partner!" Griff couldn't believe these jerks were trying to divvy him and Ichigo up like food portions. ("I'll show them what a mistake it is to underestimate us!")

Ichigo- 4000

Griff- 4000

Hiro- 4000

Enrique- 4000

Snickering at Griff's little outburst, Hiro drew. "Upper classmen first!" He glanced at the drawn card and added it to his hand. "I'll just set a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Ichigo was still staring off into space.

Griff controlled the sudden thoughts to run over and strangle his 'partner'. "ICHIGO!!"

"Huh?" The half-demon blinked in confusion for a few seconds, and then assumed that it must have been his turn. "My turn…draw." He snapped six cards off of his deck. Unfortunately for both Griff and him, he wasn't thinking correctly. ("This looks like it should work.") "I set one monster and end my turn."

Enrique drew. "Mohistava, those two don't seem to want to take any risks. How about I put a bit of money on the table?" After glancing at the drawn card he slammed it onto his disk. "I summon Berserk Gorilla (2000/1000) in attack mode!" A huge red-furred gorilla appeared on his field. "And I'll set one card face-down. End turn."

Gulping, Griff drew. ("He's starting things off quick. A two thousand attack monster is nothing to play with.") "I summon Dark Scorpion-Chick the Yellow (1000/1000) in defense mode!" A short skinny little man in a leather jerkin and red pants appeared on the field in a crouching field. He looked like he was on the verge of running away when he spotted the Berserk Gorilla. "And I'll set two cards face-down on the field. End turn."

Hiro smirked and drew. ("Pilkington looks like he's really distracted. I gotta take advantage of this before he snaps out of it!") "I reveal my face-down monster, Giant Rat (1400/1450) in attack mode!" A huge bipedal gray rat appeared on his field. "Then I summon Insect Soldiers of the Sky (1000/800) in attack mode!" A strange brown and green winged bug appeared on his field. "Giant Rat, attack Ichigo's face-down monster!" Chittering, the grey beast scurried over and bit through the card.

Ichigo picked up the card and widened his eyes at it. ("Atomic Bug? (100/200) It has to be face-up on the field for its effect work.")

Griff groaned and smacked his forehead with a palm. ("We're doomed!")

"Pitiful, you don't even know the effects of your monsters!" Hiro pointed at Ichigo. "Insect Soldiers of the Sky, direct attack!" The winged insect screeched and fluttered across the field to bite down on Ichigo's shoulder.

Ichigo- 3000

Griff- 4000

Hiro- 4000

Enrique- 4000

"I'm not quite done yet though. I set two cards face-down on the field. End turn." By the look on his face, Hiro's two face-down cards were meant to destroy Ichigo.

Thanks to the wake-up call from Hiro's monster, Ichigo was back in the game. "My turn…draw!" By the intensity he gave off when he drew, Griff could tell he was focused. "I set one monster and end my turn."

Griff face-fell. ("Maybe he's not all there yet.")

Enrique drew. "Wow, Pilkington isn't that much of an impressive player. And since you aren't a challenge either, I'd say that you two should have signed up for a different class." Muscles clenched, the Spanish boy slammed down another monster. "Now prepare to be crushed! I summon Enraged Battle Ox (1700/1000) in attack mode!" A towering Minotaur in red armor appeared on the field.

"With his special ability in play all beast, beast-warrior and Winged-beast on both Hiro and my field gain the power to deal damage through defense! Enraged Battle Ox, attack Ichigo's face-down monster!" Snorting, the Minotaur launched itself forward and slashed through the face-down monster card. "Now you're all mine!"

"Ichigo!" Griff knew what he had to do. ("I'm going to have to throw Chick in the way of the next attack.")

"Are you so sure?" Ichigo smirked as the two card halves from his monster pulled back together. "You've attacked my ultimate defender, Marshmallon!" (300/500) A strange white blob with a cute little smiley face appeared on his field. "It can't be destroyed in battle, and when it is flipped face-up from an attack, the owner of the attacking monster loses 1000 life points!"

Enrique threw back his head and laughed. "Were you listening before!? My beast monsters can deal damage through defense. I might lose 1000 life points, but you still lose 1200!"

Ichigo- 1800

Griff- 4000

Hiro- 4000

Enrique- 3000

Still laughing, Enrique pointed at Marshmallon. "Berserk Gorilla, smash that little ugly blob!" Roaring, the ape leaped across the field and slammed its fists down on Ichigo's defender, splattering it to the ground.

Ichigo- 300

Griff- 4000

Hiro- 4000

Enrique- 3000

Ichigo couldn't believe the way this was going. He was just one turn away from losing already. "Marshmallon reforms!" The blob shivered and popped back into its normal shape, still smiling happily.

Enrique glanced over at Griff. "The second we take him down, you're next. End turn."

"You won't take down Ichigo if I have anything to say about it. Draw!" Griff snapped the top card off of his deck and added it to his hand. ("But how can I stop them. I've got no attack-negating trap cards in my hand.") Then he looked over at his partner and gasped. "Oh Ra…."

Ichigo's hair had gold highlights going through it.

Griff hoped that no one noticed the difference. ("So that Luna card is affects him when his life points drop? Great…at this rate he's not going to be able to hide his little 'secret' for very long.") Looking the cards in his hand over, the Egyptian boy did have an idea on how he could protect Ichigo for another turn. "I activate the magic card Secret Pass to the Treasure! This will allow one monster on my field with 1000 or less attack points to attack one player directly this turn. So I'm going after Hiro!" Chick disappeared from the field and appeared right behind the Ra Yellow duelist holding a big mallet. Rearing back, he smacked Hiro in the back of the head and then returned to Griff's field.

Ichigo- 300

Griff- 4000

Hiro- 3000

Enrique- 3000

"When Chick the Yellow deals life points damage to a player, I may choose to activate one of two effects. So I'll send one card on the field back to its owner's hand. And my target is your Giant Rat, Hiro!"

Frowning, the long-haired boy removed the card from his disk and placed it back into his hand. "You're only delaying me slightly. I'll just replay this monster on my turn."

("Not if I have anything to say about it.") Griff slid a card into his disk. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Hiro drew. "And now I…"

Griff motioned to the card he had just set. "Reveal Non-Aggression Zone! By discarding one card in my hand I can prevent you from summoning any monsters this turn!" He slid the last card in his hand into the graveyard. ("Ichigo…you owe me big time.")

Hiro frowned at his hand. "End turn."

Ichigo nodded his head slightly to Griff. Then a lock of gold hair fell into his eyes and he gulped. ("Oh boy…this could be bad. I need to recover my life points!") "My turn…draw!" The half-demon snapped the top card off of his deck, glanced at it, and slapped it onto his disk. "I summon The Creator Incarnate (1600/1500) to the field in attack mode!" A warrior in orange and red armor appeared on his field.

Hiro tapped a button on his duel disk. "By normal summoning a monster, you triggered my Trap Hole! This will destroy your creature immediately!" A huge hole opened up in the ground and swallowed Ichigo's warrior. "Anything else, or can my partner finish you off?"

"I'm not…" Ichigo froze up as his voice came out sounding a bit higher than normal. ("Alright, no more talking until my life points goes up.") He slid four of his five cards into his disk and motioned to Enrique.

The Spanish duelist drew and slapped down a monster. "I summon another Berserk Gorilla in attack mode!" Another red-furred Gorilla joined its brother on the field. "Now Enraged Battle Ox, attack Pilkington's Marshmallon and end this duel!" Snorting, the Minotaur charged across the field and raised its axe up to cleave through the little white blob.

Ichigo tapped a button on his duel disk and one of his face-down cards flipped up to reveal Emergency Provisions, which allowed Ichigo to sacrifice any number of magic or trap cards on his field to raise his life points by 1000 per card. Two of his face-down cards faded away right before the Marshmallon got cut in half, only to pull itself back together.

Ichigo- 1100

Griff- 4000

Hiro- 3000

Enrique- 3000

Enrique shrugged and pointed at Marshmallon. "Berserk Gorilla will still end this duel! Attack!" Roaring, the monster charged across the field and lifted its fists to splatter Ichigo's monster.

"Not if I can stop your monster's special effect!" Griff tapped a button on his duel disk and one of his two face-down cards flipped up. "I reveal my trap card, Effect Negation Field! This requires I discard my hand but it shuts down the effects of all your monsters for one turn."

The Gorilla's blow did splatter the Marshmallon, but this time Ichigo didn't lose life points. "Thanks Griff."

"I've had just about enough of your interfering ways! Berserk Gorilla number two, attack Griff's Chick the Yellow!" Pounding its fists against its chest, the monster charged forwards and slammed its two fists down on the skinny little thief, destroying him instantly.

Ichigo- 1100

Griff- 3000

Hiro- 3000

Enrique- 3000

Content with the knowledge that there were very little these two Osiris Red losers could do now, Enrique smiled slightly at Griff. "End turn."

"Draw!" Griff snapped the top card off of his deck and nodded to Hiro. "End turn."

Both Hiro and Enrique shrugged to each other at Griff's unresponsive move.

"I hope you enjoyed getting to duel us, because this battle is over! I draw…" Hiro started to slide the card from the top of his deck away.

"I reveal another Non-Aggression Zone!" Griff discarded the card in his hand into the graveyard. Now he had no cards in his hand or on his field, but at least his partner was going to survive for one more turn.

"You're a nuisance, you know that right?" Hiro slid the card he had drawn into his disk. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Ichigo tugged one of his bangs into his vision and was glad to see his hair was brown again. ("Thank you…") "My turn…draw!" His voice sounded normal. One glance at the card he had drawn and he was smiling. "I sacrifice Marshmallon to summon Zaborg the Thunder Monarch!" (2400/1000) A white and gold armored monster appeared on his field, bolts of lightning crackling around its body. "When he is tribute summoned to the field, I may destroy one monster in play. So good-bye Enraged Battle Ox!" Nodding, Zaborg charged up a ball of lightning within its palms and threw it across the field, blowing Enrique's monster apart. "And then I attack Hiro's Insect Soldier's of the Sky with Zaborg the Thunder Monarch! Lightning Storm!" A bolt of lightning fell from the sky and blew the winged insect apart.

Ichigo- 1100

Griff- 3000

Hiro- 1600

Enrique- 3000

"And with that my turn is complete." Ichigo knew that Zaborg was the answer necessary to grab them the win. With its attack points there was no way they could lose.

Enrique snapped the top card off of his deck. "You think I'm afraid of your little lightning bug!? Berserk Gorilla, attack Griff's life points directly!" Roaring, the huge ape stomped across the field…

And was blown apart by a lightning bolt from Zaborg's gauntleted fist.

Ichigo- 1100

Griff- 3000

Hiro- 1600

Enrique- 2600

"What!?" Enrique looked horror-stricken. "How did you do that!?"

Hiro held his head in his hands and muttered angrily. "You idiot…"

Ichigo motioned to his Monarch. "When my partner has no monsters in play I may throw one of my creatures in the way of your attack. I would have thought you'd have remembered an important rule like that."

Enrique growled angrily and slid his second Berserk Gorilla into the graveyard. "Don't you talk to me like I'm a child, you Osiris Red drop-out! I sacrifice my monster to set another creature in defense mode. End turn."

Griff smiled at how quickly this duel had turned in their favor. "Draw!" He slid the top card off of his deck, and after glancing at it smirked. "I set this face-down and end my turn."

Hiro drew. "Unlike my partner, I have the intelligence necessary to figure out a way to defeat your Zaborg and wipe out your life points, Pilkington. First I play the continuous magic card called Hive! While this is out I may special summon one Insect sub-type monster from my hand when I have no creatures on my field. So I special summon Howling Insect (1200/1300) in defense mode!" A blue grasshopper appeared on his field. "And then I'll set another monster face-down. End turn."

Ichigo smirked. "We've got you both on the ropes. Now let's see what my Luna Deck has in store for you."

"Luna Deck?" Griff sounded as surprised as he probably looked. "That is what you working on all night?"

Ichigo drew. "Yep." He slid the drawn card into his disk. "I play Monster Reborn to bring back The Creator Incarnate!" The red and orange warrior reappeared on the field. "And then I summon Kaiser Seahorse (1700/1650) in attack mode!" A blue and purple armored knight appeared on the other side of his Thunder Monarch. "This duel is nearing its close! Zaborg, attack Enrique's face-down monster." One blast of lightning later the Spanish duelist was down to his face-down magic/trap card. "Now Creator Incarnate and Kaiser Seahorse, attack his life points directly!" The two monsters lifted their respective weapons and charged.

"Ichigo, no!" Griff knew he was too late to stop the monsters, but he was in a form of minor shock that Ichigo would do something so reckless.

Hiro smiled calmly and motioned to Enrique. "I'll block your Kaiser Seahorse with my Howling Insect, and I'll block your Creator Incarnate with my face-down monster!" The two monster cards appeared in the way of Ichigo's warriors. The Howling Insect was blown apart, while the other monster flipped up and deflected The Creator Incarnates attack.

Ichigo- 700

Griff- 3000

Hiro- 1600

Enrique- 2600

"You've triggered the effects of my monsters. First I'll activate Howling Insect's effect, allowing me to special summon one insect monster with 1500 attack or less from my deck to the field when it is destroyed in battle." There was flash of light and another Howling Insect appeared on the field. "So I'll just call out another of its brethren."

"My second monster was a plant known as Prickle Fairy (300/2000) and her special ability is that when she is attacked, after damage calculation, the attacking monster is switched into defense mode. Also, as long as she is out you cannot attack any insect monsters on the field." A green-skinned woman surrounded by vines appeared on his field in a crouching position.

Ichigo paled as his Creator Incarnate fell to one knee. That wasn't what made him pale though. It was the fact that his nails had lengthened when he had sustained the life point damage. ("Crap…this damned 'blessing' is going to be the end of me!") "End turn."

Enrique drew and grimaced. "I set one monster face-down and end my turn."

Griff took a deep breath and drew. ("My favorite card…") "I summon Don Zaloog (1400/1500) in attack mode!" A man wearing the leather jerkin and red pants of the Dark Scorpion Burglars appeared on his field. In Don Zaloog's hands rested a pair of knives and over one of his eyes was an eye patch. "This guy is the leader of the Black Scorpion Burglars, and he's going to pick you apart! Don, attack Enrique's defense monster now!" Nodding, the thief king leapt forward and with masterful speed slashed the face-down monster card apart. "End turn."

Hiro wasn't sure what it was, but Pilkington looked different. ("Strange indeed…but anyway.") He drew. "I sacrifice Howling Insect to summon one of my most powerful cards to the field." A fairy wearing the robes of a king appeared on his field. "Fairy King Truesdale (2200/1500) has the special power to raise the attack of all plant monsters on the field by 500 points!" (2700/1500) (800/2000) "Now blow his Zaborg away!" Truesdale chanted a spell that made a ball of golden light appear within his palms. Blowing on the side of it, the Fairy King sent the ball launching across the field to blow a huge hole in Zaborg's armor.

Ichigo- 400

Griff- 3000

Hiro- 1600

Enrique- 2600

Ichigo shuddered as a lock of gold hair dropped down into his eyes. ("Argh! I hate you right now, damned stupid blessing!")

"What the heck happened to your hair?"

Both Osiris Red duelists froze up. Hiro had noticed the change.

"W...wel…well….." Ichigo stammered out, trying to figure out a suitable excuse.

"It's a new line of hair dye for duelists!" Griff nearly screamed, drawing everyone's attention to him.

"Hair dye?" Both Enrique and Hiro said at once.

"Ye…Yeah! Didn't you know about it? It's all the rage in…er…France. When your life points change…so does your hair. I'm amazed you guys have never heard of it." Griff felt his cheeks burning, but he knew that he couldn't stop now.

"Yeah! I thought I'd give it a try!" Ichigo looked over at Griff and mouthed 'France?'.

His roommate just shrugged back at him.

"Ooookay then…." Hiro nodded to Ichigo. "Well it's your turn, Goldie-locks."

"………" Ichigo growled quietly and drew. ("Goldie-locks….what in the hell kind of insult is that!?") Another golden lock of hair fell into his eyes. ("Oh….well he's still gonna pay!") "I switch Kaiser Seahorse into defense mode and end my turn."

Enrique drew and smirked, slapping down a monster. "I summon my third Berserk Gorilla to the field." His final red-furred ape appeared and roared. "Crush Griff's Don Zaloog!" Snarling, the monster charged across the field to pummel the thief kind senseless.

"You shouldn't try to beat a thief with brute force. It'll just get you hurt!" Griff pressed a button on his duel disk and his face-down card flipped up. "I activate the trap card Guerrilla Tactics! This will destroy your monster and deal half of its attack in damage to your life points!" The Berserk Gorilla tripped over a rock that had appeared in the ground, flying forwards and falling into a spike-filled pit.

Ichigo- 400

Griff- 3000

Hiro- 1600

Enrique- 1600

Growling angrily, the Spanish duelist slid two cards from his hand into his disk. "I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

Griff snapped the top card off of his deck. ("Alright…the pressure is on. If I can't pull off a victory then Ichigo's social life at this school is gonna be over.") Snapping the card over, he smiled slightly. "I play the equipment magic card Guns of the King!" A pair of pistols appeared in Don Zaloog's hands. "This will raise Don's attack power by 500 points, and when he deals life point damage to my opponent they must discard the top card of their deck for every 200 points they take. (1900/1500) End turn!" He nearly made the mistake of declaring an attack on Enrique's life points, which would mean he'd pretty much be sacrificing his Don for nothing.

Hiro drew. "What a waste of time. I already know that you are trying to make my monster attack yours instead of your friends. Very noble, but I'm not falling for it. First I set one monster face-down on the field in defense mode. Then I attack Kaiser Seahorse, so that you can't sacrifice it to summon a high-level light monster!" One ball of golden light later Ichigo was short one monster. "End turn."

"I'll show…" Ichigo bit his tongue to stop himself from talking. His voice was changing again. ("I swear I'm going to tear this damned magic card apart after this duel is over.") He drew, slid the last two cards in his hand into his disk, and then nodded to Enrique.

While his partner drew, Hiro narrowed his eyes at Ichigo. ("You're hiding something, and it has something to do with your life points. As soon as I find out what it is, you're finished.")

Enrique frowned at the drawn card. "End turn."

Griff took a deep breath and drew. ("Please…give me luck.") He snapped the card over and smirked widely. "I activate the magic card Hammer Shot!" A huge wooden mallet appeared over the head of Hiro's Fairy King Truesdale. "Now the strongest attack mode monster on the field will be destroyed!"

Hiro wasn't going to let his monster wiped out, unless he was the one doing the wiping. "I open my face-down magic card Mystic Wok. Now I will sacrifice Fairy King Truesdale and raise my life points by his attack points!" In a flash of light his monster disappeared. "So your card served no purpose."

"You wish we were that stupid," said Ichigo.

Ichigo- 3000

Griff- 3000

Hiro- 1600

Enrique- 1600

"How!?" Hiro frowned in surprise. "What happened!?"

Ichigo pointed up at a floating crystal bordered mirror that hovered over his head. "My Spirit Mirror trap card transferred the life gain effect of your magic card straight to me. Thanks for the life point boost!" The half-demon threw his opponent a wink, brushing back his once again brown bangs. ("I'm back in the green again, so that means my secret is safe.")

Griff pointed at Hiro's face-down monster. "Don Zaloog, attack whatever he set in defense mode!" The thief king aimed its pistols and blew over ten holes in the face-down card in the span of three seconds.

Hiro held up the monster card. "This was my Giant Rat. When it is destroyed I can special summon one earth attribute monster from my deck to the field, as long as it has 1500 or less attack points." He pulled a card from out of his deck and slapped it onto his disk. "So I summon my third and final Howling Insect to the field in attack mode." Another blue grasshopper shimmered into existence under his control.

Griff had expected as much. "End turn."

"Then it's now my turn and I'll wipe you out! Draw!" He glanced at the drawn card and added it to his hand. "I set one monster face-down and switch Howling Insect into defense mode. End turn."

Ichigo drew. "End turn."

Enrique drew and sighed. "End turn."

Griff drew. ("This is getting redundant. Let's get rid of these jerks before something comes along and knocks out the rest of Ichigo's life points.") He smirked at the sight of the drawn card. "I attack Hiro's face-down monster with Don Zaloog!" The thief king blew the defense monster away. "Then I set one card and end my turn."

Hiro drew. "Heh…this should heat things up. I set one monster in defense mode. Now come and attack it if you dare. End turn."

Ichigo looked down trustingly to his deck. ("Luna…if I'm your chosen warrior, then how about you give me something that will help me win?") He slid the card off of his deck slowly, and then held it up along with the other card in his hand. "You just go ahead and think you're on the verge of winning. I, however, know the truth about this duel." The half-demon smirked and slapped the card he had drawn onto his disk. "I summon Silent Swordsman Level 0!" (1000/1000) A little child wearing a white and blue overcoat appeared on his field. "Then I switch Creator Incarnate into attack mode!" The red and orange slowly stood up, drawing his short sword. "Attack his face-down monster card, now!" In one slash Hiro's monster was gone.

The Ra Yellow duelist didn't seem worried though. "My face-down monster card was a Mystic Tomato (1400/1100) and when it is destroyed in battle I may special a dark attribute monster from my deck to the field in attack mode, just as long as it has 1500 or less attack points!" He smirked and looked at the Silent Swordsman. "I will forgo that right though, so please continue your turn."

Just like that the half-demon's plan had been sent down the drain. "End turn."

Enrique drew and looked slightly relieved. "I set a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Griff drew. "I set one monster and end my turn."

Hiro knew that they couldn't hope to hold forever against these two. Eventually they would get the necessary attack power to win this duel. ("Unless I draw a card that can stop them right now!") In one flourishing pull he held the top card of his deck in his hand. One look at it told him exactly what he needed to know. "I sacrifice Howling Insect to summon my mighty Insect Princess (1900/1200) in attack mode!" A strange mix of human and butterfly appeared on his field. "With her on my side, you won't win. I finish my turn by setting one card face-down."

"That was your last mistake, Hiro." Ichigo drew and his Silent Swordsman grew just a little bigger. "Silent Swordsman goes up one level each passing turn. When he does he also gains 500 attack and defense points. So say hello to Silent Swordsman Level 1!" (1500/1500) Glancing at the card he drew, Ichigo got even more hopeful that he could win this duel with his Silent Swordsman. "Silent Swordsman, attack Enrique's face-down monster now!"

"And so the little fly walks right into the spider's web." Hiro pressed a button on his duel disk and one of his face-down cards flipped up. "I activate the trap card Pull of the Hive! This will transform your monster into an Insect sub-type beast, and then it must immediately attack another insect on my field. Since the only insect I control is my Insect Princess, you're about to lose some life points!"

Ichigo's Silent Swordsman slid to a stop and charged the Insect Princess.

Enrique saw his chance to wipe out one of his opponents right now. "I reveal my three face-down Mistaken Attack trap cards! These can only be activated during an enemy's battle phase, and now any amount of damage you take from battle will be doubled, then doubled again, and then doubled one more time. You were going take 400 life points of damage from your Silent Swordsman death, but now you're about to take 3200! It's over!"

Hiro smirked and threw his teammate a thumbs-up. Their tag team strategy was too good for these stupid Osiris Red brats.

"Are you so sure?" Ichigo tapped a button on his duel disk and the face-down card right behind where Silent Swordsman had been standing flipped face-up. "Because I reveal my face-down quickplay magic card Time Jump! This will not only bump up the turn count by three, but it will also negate all cards it is chained with. So the only person here who is about to lose is you, Hiro. This will make my Silent Swordsman a three thousand attack monster!"

Hiro looked scared until he heard the word magic card. "Oh really? Well then I suppose my face-down Magic Jammer trap card is useless, right? Wrong! I activate Magic Jammer and discard one card from my hand to negate Time Jump! Now it really is over for you!"

("Oh hell…") Griff and Ichigo thought at the same time as the Time Jump card exploded into little digital particles.

The Insect Princess released a wave of poison particles that blew the Silent Swordsman apart.

Hiro smiled and pointed at the currently horror-stricken Ichigo. "Since your monster was an insect at the time it was destroyed, my Insect Princess gains 500 attack points permanently. And thanks to the Mistaken Attack trap cards that my partner flipped up, the 400 life points of damage that you would take have been doubled three times to a grand total of 3200 life points of damage." He smirked coldly. "That's one down and one to go."

Ichigo- 0

Griff- 3000

Hiro- 1600

Enrique- 1600

Both Ra Yellow duelists threw back their head to laugh, only to have that laughter cut off as an explosion of light engulfed Ichigo's field. A pair of huge feathered wings snapped out and flapped a couple of times, moving the light with their currents.

Only one person who was watching the spectacle felt any other emotion besides awe. That would have been Griff, who felt awe and fear. ("The second that light dies away…Ichigo's screwed.")

From within the light a certain now female Ichigo couldn't have thought it better herself.

_To be continued…_

Author's notes: Double duels are just so much fun to write. Bleah! Anyway, if you noticed that last little tense change I decided that when Ichigo is female, I'll use the female tense so as not to confuse people.

To GryphinWyrm7: Fine, you've caught me.

To Darkstar71: I could tell you, but then I would have to deny it vehemently. (That's right, I used vehemently in a sentence. Fear me!)

To TheMysticWanderer: It depends on what cards you plan on using.

To Seeker of the Soul: My tributes to the Vash and Kenshin have been accomplished, that they have.

To Bobbomp: Only your usual amount of horrible gory evilness. Maybe some extra if I feel like murdering the whole cast again.

To Anime Albino: I drag out duels because they're really stretchy, and I can use them when they are stretched out to make daisy chains. (No, I have no idea what I am talking about)

To Isumo 1489: Ichigo, now with 40 more richness.

To Neo Arkadia: Yes, this duel was my tribute to the Memory World duel, just cause it is so fresh and shiny. As for the strawberry thing….I did not know that.

To Demon Fan: I don't need you as an announcer! I have my pet chimp Mr. Coconut to do that for me.

To falcon demon general: He doesn't know what Trigun is? Heck, even Rikuo knows what Trigun is.

To gohan11: Beware, for the next unseen twist may be coming after you!

To The Obsessive Zero Fan: You are forgiven. However, the next time you try and…….there really isn't anything that you did wrong, huh? Fine, you're off the hook for now. But I have my eye on you!!!


	17. The Double Duel' Part 2

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh, Trigun, Ruroni Kenshin, or anything else except this computer and my evil laugh, which I will show you now. BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 17: The Double Duel (Part 2)

_Hiro smiled and pointed at the currently horror-stricken Ichigo. "Since your monster was an insect at the time it was destroyed, my Insect Princess gains 500 attack points permanently. And thanks to the Mistaken Attack trap cards that my partner flipped up, the 400 life points of damage that you would take have been doubled three times to a grand total of 3200 life points of damage." He smirked coldly. "That's one down and one to go."_

_Ichigo- 0_

_Griff- 3000_

_Hiro- 1600_

_Enrique- 1600_

_Both Ra Yellow duelists threw back their head to laugh, only to have that laughter cut off as an explosion of light engulfed Ichigo's field. A pair of huge feathered wings snapped out and flapped a couple of times, moving the light with their currents._

_Only one person who was watching the spectacle felt any other emotion besides awe. That would have been Griff, who felt awe and fear. ("The second that light dies away…Ichigo's screwed.")_

_From within the light a now female Ichigo couldn't have thought it better herself._

"What…what card is that?" asked the teacher. He'd never seen something like that before in his life. "Where'd you get such a powerful looking card?"

Ichigo could already see the light of the Blessing of Luna card fading away. ("I'm doomed! I can't run from this duel, and besides, everyone would notice that I look different, no matter how fast I ran.") She knew there had to be a way out of this. ("What though!? You stupid card and your stupid effects! Wait a second….") Ichigo had her answer.

The light died down and everyone, Griff excluded, gaped open-mouthed at the attractive female wolf demon that emerged from where Ichigo had been.

"What in the…" Hiro stared stupidly, eyes lingering on certain areas a couple of times until Ichigo threw a rock at him.

"You shouldn't stare; it's bad for your health." Ichigo knew that now was not the time to get scared. ("If I pull this off I deserve an Oscar.") She threw back her head and laughed. "I bet you thought you had me beat, right!? Well think again, Hiro! When my life points hit zero you activated one of the most powerful cards in this game, Blessings of Luna!"

Hiro, Enrique, and the rest of the class stared stupidly.

("And now the hard part.") She ran her hands through her hair, smiling slyly. "Such a rare card also possesses some of the most interesting holographic effects, wouldn't you agree? Blessings of Luna, when activated during a holographic duel, will create a perfect hologram around the user that makes them look an embodiment of the moon goddess Luna. Why I would play such a strange effect, you might ask. Well that's because as long as Blessings of Luna is in play, I will gain 100 life points for every monster card in the graveyard at the start of each turn." A golden light surrounded her. "It's worth looking strange for a little while if I can gain so many life points so quickly. And since Blessings of Luna is a continuous magic card, I'd have to be crazy not to use it."

Ichigo- 1900

Griff- 3000

Hiro- 1600

Enrique- 1600

Ichigo left it at that. "So, since it's still my turn I'll attack Enrique's face-down monster with Creator Incarnate!" Giving a slightly confused nod to its master…mistress, the monster attacked and slashed through the card with ease. "Then I end my turn by setting one card face-down!" Taking a deep breath, Ichigo took a couple of seconds to glance around at the rest of the class, as well as her opponents. ("Believe on, be gullible!")

Enrique drew slowly. "I…guess that makes sense…ish." He glanced at the card and placed it onto his duel disk. "I set a monster and end my turn."

Griff drew. "Hell, I'd play that card if I had it!" ("Like hell I'd play that damned thing!") He slammed the card onto his disk. "I summon Dark Scorpion-Meanae the Thorn!" (1000/1800) A woman in Dark Scorpion garb appeared on the field with a whip in one hand. "Then I attack your face-down monster with Don Zaloog!" The thief king aimed his two pistols and a few shots later Enrique was short another monster. "End turn."

Hiro narrowed his eyes at Ichigo. ("Something about that magic card he played…") "The effect of Insect Princess is that when she destroys an insect monster, like what your Silent Swordsman was when it was destroyed, she gains 500 attack points." (2400/1200) "Now attack Ichigo's monster!" The princess flapped her wings and a purple powder flowed around the Creator Incarnate, blowing him apart. "End turn."

Ichigo- 1100

Griff- 3000

Hiro- 1600

Enrique- 1600

Ichigo smiled and drew. "You're only helping me, because thanks to Blessings of Luna I gain 100 life points per monster in the graveyard every turn." More golden light shimmered around her body.

Ichigo- 3300

Griff- 3000

Hiro- 1600

Enrique- 1600

One glance at the card she had drawn and Ichigo had to smile even more. "You're on the fast track to losing, Hiro. But first, it's time to bring this duel to a location more fitting for the warrior of the moon goddess!" Her field magic card slot opened and the drawn card was inserted into it. "I play the field magic card Arena of Luna!" All around them the earth warped and changed, forming huge towering pillars and arches. Within just a few seconds all four duelists were inside a huge coliseum, with white marble surrounding them on all sides.

"Arena of Luna has a very special effect, as you are about to see! First though, I summon D.D. Warrior Lady (1500/1600) in attack mode!" A woman in a grey body-suit appeared on the field. "Now D.D. Warrior Lady, attack Insect Princess!" Drawing a glowing dagger made of light; the woman ran across the field and slashed right through the Princess. In a flash of light and fire, Hiro's monster was gone.

"How did you do that!?" Hiro couldn't figure out how his Insect Princess had been defeated. "My monster had 900 more attack points than yours did!"

"That's quite true, but thanks to the power of my Arena it didn't matter how many attack points your monster had. Because within this mystical place all light attribute warriors gain 1000 attack points when fighting any attribute other than light. That gave my D.D. Warrior Lady just enough attack points to wipe you out." Ichigo gave Hiro a little wink, and then nodded to Enrique. "End turn."

Ichigo- 3300

Griff- 3000

Hiro- 1500

Enrique- 1600

Enrique drew and gulped. ("This card won't help me at all. How am I going to survive against an opponent that is gaining back life points faster than we can take them away?") "I end my turn."

Griff wanted to jump up and down in pure joy. ("This duel is ours! They can't do anything against Ichigo's Blessings card.") He drew. "I end my turn."

Frowning, Hiro drew. ("I know something is wrong with this…there's just too many questions about that damned magic card. For example, how could any hologram be that realistic!?") "First off, I'll counter your field magic card with one of my own. I play the field magic card Forest!" All around them the temple crumbled, replaced by trees. "Now all insect, beast, plant and beast-warrior monsters gain 200 attack and defense points!"

Ichigo narrowed her eyes slowly. "I'd be careful what you do to places that belong to gods. They tend to be very possessive of their property."

"You talk as if I destroyed a real place when I played my magic card." Hiro slapped a monster card onto his disk. "I summon Ultimate Insect Level 1 (0/0) in defense mode!" A little grub appeared on his field. "End turn."

Without looking at her deck, Ichigo drew. "Let's get to the point, shall we?" A golden light surrounded her as the Blessings of Luna increased her life points.

Ichigo- 5600

Griff- 3000

Hiro- 1500

Enrique- 1600

The half-demon tapped a button her duel disk and one of her two face-down cards flipped up. "I activate the equipment magic card Raregold Armor!" A suit of golden armor appeared on the D.D. Warrior Lady. "Now the only monster you are able to declare an attack on is her. End turn."

Enrique drew. ("This guy is intense…for an Osiris Red.") "I end my turn for now."

Griff drew, glanced at the card, and nodded to Hiro. "Take your turn."

Snickering, the Ra Yellow duelist drew. "You don't think that my Ultimate Insect is weak, do you?" The little grub shivered and grew in size. "Because every turn he is going to upgrade himself until her is strong enough to crush you." (Level 2:1400/900)

Ichigo frowned angrily. "How has it gained so many attack points in one turn?"

"Because, my dear Pilkington, the special ability of my Ultimate Insect is that it gains one level per turn. And for every level its gains 900 defense and 200 attack points times the number of insect monsters in my graveyard." Hiro threw back his head and laughed. "You aren't going to be able to defeat something of this power. End turn."

Ichigo drew. "I'll show you power." More golden light surrounded her. "End turn."

Ichigo- 7900

Griff- 3000

Hiro- 1500

Enrique- 1600

Enrique drew, and bit his lower lip hard. ("Argh! What's with these crappy cards!?") "End turn."

Griff drew. "I play the magic card Pot of Greed." He drew two cards, looked at them and then slid them both into his disk. "Then I set two cards face-down on my field. End turn."

Hiro smirked and drew. "And once more my Ultimate Insect increases in strength!" (Level 3: 2800/1800) "Also, I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

Ichigo closed her eyes and felt the power of the Blessings of Luna pulse within her. ("Alright…you wanted a warrior, right? Well despite the fact that I really don't like forces of nature screwing with me, I am not going to argue against you. But how about a way to end this duel before somebody gets suspicious and figures out that this isn't a hologram?")

She drew, glanced at the card, and smiled. ("That'll work.") "I play the magic card Tiny Pound Hammer. Now I can shuffle it and any number of cards in my hand into my deck, and then draw an equal number." Folding up the three cards, she shuffled them in and drew three more.

After quickly looking over each of the cards in turn, Ichigo knew exactly what needed to be done. "First I play Pot of Greed, so let's see what two cards luck has for me!" Glancing at one of the two cards she had drawn, Ichigo had a devilishly evil plan in mind. "First I play the magic card Heavy Storm, destroying all magic and trap cards on the field!" A huge explosion of wind slammed across the field, tearing away all of the trees from the Forest field magic card and annihilating everything else excluding the monsters.

When everyone could see again, Ichigo grinned enough to show off his fangs. "And when Blessings of Luna is destroyed I may take one magic card and one monster card from my graveyard and place them into my hand." He slid his hand into the graveyard slot and pulled out two cards. "So I'll just choose these little numbers. Are you ready to get moving along, Hiro?"

The Ra Yellow duelist narrowed his eyes at his now male opponent. "Let's see what you have got for me."

Griff looked worriedly over to his friend. ("Was it wise to destroy the Blessings of Luna? Those life points could have been helpful.")

Ichigo knew what he was doing though. "Then I sacrifice D.D. Warrior Lady to summon back an old friend!" The warrior woman disappeared off of the field and was replaced by a familiar gold and white armored shape. "Zaborg the Thunder Monarch (2400/1000) in attack mode!"

Both Hiro and Enrique gulped.

"And from your reactions I see that you both understand very well what Zaborg does when he is tribute summoned, right?" As if on cue, the Thunder Monarch charged up a ball of lightning within its grasp and hurled it across the field, blowing Ultimate Insect apart. "He destroys one monster of my choosing!"

Griff felt like breaking into dance. They had this duel!

Ichigo snapped up another card. "Then I play Monster Reborn to summon D.D. Warrior Lady back from the graveyard!" The warrior woman appeared on the field next to the mighty Thunder Monarch. "Zaborg, blast Prickle Fairy out of existence. Ball Lightning!" A huge ball of lightning fell out of the sky and shattered the plant monster. "And even though Zaborg goes into defense mode, it really doesn't matter. You're still finished, Hiro! D.D. Warrior Lady, direct attack!" In one slash of the dimensional woman's laser blade, only Enrique was left to fight.

Ichigo- 7900

Griff- 3000

Hiro- 0

Enrique- 1600

Enrique drew, glanced at the card, and slumped his shoulders sadly. "I surrender."

Ichigo- 7900

Griff- 3000

Hiro- 0

Enrique- Submit

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One hour later after managing to dodge one million and three questions about the Blessing of Luna, Ichigo and Griff were on their way back to their dorm.

"I swear Ichigo….if you ever make such a huge mistake as you did with that Insect Princess and your Silent Swordsman." Griff still was in a state of slight shock that they had even managed to emerge from that situation alright. "Seriously, do you understand how barely your excuse about the Blessing of Luna passed?"

"I heard you the first ten times, Griff." Ichigo was just amazed that mostly everyone had bought it. Of course…those who hadn't were going to start some interesting rumors. ("Oh well…at least I got to beat down on some punk Ra Yellow jerks.") "Who knows, maybe the whole turning into a girl thing is fixed? What do you think?"

"I think you're getting your hopes up, man." Griff left it at that, since home was just around the corner. "How about we get back to our room and work from there, hmm? I'm sure once your father hears the rumors about your mysterious card he's going to want to talk to you about it."

Ichigo was one hundred and ten percent sure that he was going to have problems tricking his dad. ("But I've tricked him in the past, haven't I?") "I should be able to handle it."

"Whatever you say, Ichigo." Griff was going to be sure to be around when that conversation started. It would be too much fun to miss.

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Daniel sighed and glanced back at the full moon above his head. ("It is like 9 o'clock at night. I'm sure that Ichigo doesn't feel like talking to me at the moment. Besides, I did promise that I'd keep out of his business and he'd keep out of mine.") Yet the half wolf-demon couldn't get over the sheer curiosity of this 'goddess magic card' that Ichigo had played this morning. ("From the rumors, the card is supposed to be really powerful. I just have to see this thing for myself.")

Placing his ear against the door, Daniel listened closely to see if anyone was even home. From inside, he heard three voices. One definitely female, and two male. ("Can that be what I think it is?") He grinned excitedly. ("Hiding girls in your room, eh? Ichigo, you sly dog…well as your father I can't let you think you can hide a girlfriend from me.") Still grinning widely, he snuck around to the railing and got ready to do something he hadn't done for the longest time. ("BWHAHAHA!!! Time to be sneaky.")

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Ichigo rubbed her hands against her eyes and sighed, looking up at the full moon from the window of her room. "I swear this isn't how I intended to spend my time at this academy."

"It could be much worse, Ichigo. From what we've been able to deduce, you're only a girl when the Blessings of Luna are activated, or when the light of the moon is touching you." Krieger tried to avoid that fact that this was a lot of time, if Ichigo kept getting his life points brought to zero during duels.

"I personally think you could be a lot worse off, don't you think?" Griff wasn't normally used to being optimistic, but he didn't like seeing his friend depressed.

Ichigo was beyond depressed at this point though. "I can't spend the rest of my life doing this crap though. Seriously now…this isn't right at all! Why couldn't that damned card have just selected Eri instead of me!?"

"Because she's as pure-hearted as the darkness that she uses in her deck," Krieger muttered just loud enough for Ichigo to hear.

("I've had my fill of this. At first I thought I could handle it…but now I realize that I am completely unprepared for whatever responsibility comes with this 'blessing'.") "What kind of blessing changes you into something against your will? Someone else who wants this power can have it, because so far as I've gotten was nothing but problems!" She spun around to look at the moon. "Do you hear me!? I, Ichigo Pilkington, want answers! Why are you doing this to me!?"

Krieger and Griff weren't exactly sure what to say on that matter. This was way too awkward of a moment for them.

Ichigo snorted angrily and looked away from the moon. "I didn't think you'd decide to answer me." Her ears twitched and she could have sworn that she heard a…thud? "Someone's outside the window."

Krieger slipped over to the window and slid it open, sticking his head out into the night. "Oh….um hi…"

"Who are you saying hi….?" Ichigo stopped talking the very second a familiar face appeared in the window.

Daniel looked like he was somewhere on the verge of either a heart attack or passing out. His eyes bugged so much out of their sockets that he looked comical in appearance.

Griff's gaze flicked between Ichigo, then Daniel….Ichigo….Daniel….Ichigo….Daniel…

Ichigo won out, because Daniel passed out three seconds later.

_To be continued…_

Next Chapter: The Nameless Ones make their first move

Author's Notes: And the plot thickens so much that I do believe I cannot move anymore. Oh well….I didn't need to move anyway. Stay tuned, because next chapter some stuff is going to happen.

To Seeker of the Soul: Rikuo knows of Trigun because Daniel watched it during their time as a single entity.

To TheChazMan: Wow…that's interesting indeed.

To Dais: That's how you get out of sticky situations….lie through your teeth and then run….or just pass out like Daniel did.

To Lance Murdock: It isn't so much when his life points hit zero, but it's when Blessings of Luna comes into play.

To gohan11: Dun dun dun dun dun dun!!!!!

To GryphinWyrm7: That's right. Mr. Coconut is my official announcer.

To Bobbomp: Wow….you sure like to laugh, eh? And don't let Eri hear you say that, because she'll break your arms and beat you to death with them.

To Anime Albino: Well I'm sorry it bores you. Maybe the next chapter will be more to your liking.


	18. The Nameless Ones make their first move

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 18: The Nameless Ones make their first move

("Must find….darkness….") The black-cloaked form was facing away from the island, and had its red-eyed gaze on a small boat that was just a mile or so away. ("Darkness….is there.") The black-cloaked form dissipated like it was made of mist.

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He sat in darkness, memories flashing through his head. ("Just as soon as I get away from these men in the white coats with the guns…Deondre…I'll defeat you yet.")

The Magnificent Clarice was currently in a straight-jacket, and was lacking the normal items that made him appear as the great magician that he knew he was. His scraggly black hair hung down in his face, and without his mask on the scars of his past was revealed, both literally and figuratively.

So long ago, he had been one of the greatest (at least in his mind) magicians the world has ever known. Then it all came crashing down when he lost in one simple duel to the death. Obviously he emerged from it unscathed, but at the same time he had lost. ("Deondre Anderson…how I hate you…")

After losing to Deondre Anderson once, Clarice went into hiding to recover and prepare to regain his lost fame by defeating the one who had stolen it. ("That was so long ago….like fifteen years or so, wasn't it?") They'd battled again, and once more the hated Deondre Anderson had won. ("He was just too powerful for me to hold against.")

The padded walls around him and the rocking of the boat were his only company on his ride to incarceration. The authorities had recently captured him, and were sending him somewhere where he couldn't cause problems anymore. ("Sheesh…kill just a couple of people and everyone wants your ass.")

_("I can help you, Clarice.")_

Considering his mental state, Clarice wasn't surprised by the voice in his head. "Oh? You can offer me salvation?"

_("I can offer you more than salvation. How would you like the power to crush Deondre Anderson?")_

Insane laughter echoed from the inside of the small chamber. "Hell, what do I have to lose!?" Pain erupted through his body, but he was too exhilarated at the prospect of freedom to care.

_("You have nothing to lose…and so much to gain. First though, there is something you must retrieve.")_

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A few minutes later screams of pain and death echoed across the waters of the ocean. And then the boat had changed directions, heading straight for the Duel Academy.

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_("I've had my fill of this. At first I thought I could handle it…but now I realize that I am completely unprepared for whatever responsibility comes with this 'blessing'.") "What kind of blessing changes you into something against your will? Someone else who wants this power can have it, because so far as I've gotten was nothing but problems!" She spun around to look at the moon. "Do you hear me!? I, Ichigo Pilkington, want answers! Why are you doing this to me!?"_

_Krieger and Griff weren't exactly sure what to say on that matter. This was way too awkward of a moment for them._

_Ichigo snorted angrily and looked away from the moon. "I didn't think you'd decide to answer me." Her ears twitched and she could have sworn that she heard a…thud? "Someone's outside the window."_

_Krieger slipped over to the window and slid it open, sticking his head out into the night. "Oh….um hi…"_

"_Who are you saying hi….?" Ichigo stopped talking the very second a familiar face appeared in the window._

_Daniel looked like he was somewhere on the verge of either a heart attack or passing out. His eyes bugged so much out of their sockets that he looked comical in appearance._

_Griff's gaze flicked between Ichigo and Daniel….Ichigo….Daniel….Ichigo….Daniel…_

_Ichigo won out, because Daniel passed out three seconds later._

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"I think he's coming to."

Daniel slowly came back to the conscious world with many disturbing dreams floating in his mind. ("Wow…that was really weird. I dreamt that Ichigo was a girl. Heh…")

"Dad, are you okay?" A girl's voice spoke near his ear.

("Please tell me that I have an illegitimate child……or something to that extent.") Daniel decided to take the risk and he opened his eyes slowly. The first thing he saw was a pair of ocean-deep blue eyes that hovered over him. "Please tell me I'm dreaming…or that your name is Ichigo Pilkington just by coincidence."

Ichigo slid back a couple of feet and paled. ("Oh man….")

Griff sat back to watch the show. ("I wish I had some popcorn.")

Krieger stood near Daniel to catch him again in case he passed out.

Said half wolf-demon was beyond passing out. Scooting into a half-sitting position, he looked the female half-demon over for a few seconds before sighing. "Ichigo…I'm beyond shock at this point. The gods only know how many strange things have happened to me in the past, so I won't freak out and go on a tirade. However…explain what the deal is."

Taking a deep breath, Ichigo started to explain about the Blessings of Luna…

By the time she finished, Daniel had passed out again.

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Clarice readjusted the straps to his mask, feeling like his old self once more. The boat has shored itself on the beach of the island, and waiting for Clarice was a black-cloaked figure. "So you're the guy who set me free huh? I have to admit that's pretty generous of you. What did you need me to retrieve?"

The black cloak rustled quietly in the sea wind. _("There is a large apartment building not too far from here. I want you to go there and…")_ The figure relayed its plan to Clarice, who listened intently.

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Daniel had passed out three more times, but Ichigo had finally been able to relay the entire story to her father.

And Daniel couldn't be more flustered. "First off, you should have told me. Secondly….what the hell is the matter with you!? Why would you keep that card in your deck?"

Wincing at the tone of his voice, Ichigo meekly responded. "Well…it's hard to explain. I just have this feeling that someone or something is after this card, and if it leaves my hands then we could all be in great amounts of danger."

A knock came at the door, and Krieger went over to see who it was.

Daniel didn't like this, but it was too late to prevent it. "First off, I'm calling Ryu. He must know something about…" His ears twitched at a sound on the other side of the door. ("A gun…") "Krieger, don't…"

The half cat-demon had already opened the door…

"Good evening folks! Are you ready to party!?" Clarice snapped up the revolver he had liberated from one of the guards and pointed it at Ichigo. He pulled the trigger.

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Hitokage Seijitsu frowned, looking down from the top of the mountain to see the main academy building right below him. ("What brought me out here? It's ten o'clock at night, and yet here I am at the highest point of the island. Why am I here?")

He'd heard the voice again, and this time against his better judgment he followed it. Why it had led him here, he'll never know for sure. ("What did you want me to see?") Taking in the whole of the island, only one thing seemed out of place. There was smoke rising up from the old 'haunted' mansion that was located in the middle of the forest area. ("Maybe that old eyesore is finally going to burn itself down and save us the trouble.")

Despite his wishes, he started to head back down the mountain and towards the mansion.

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Daniel was moving the second Clarice had started to talk. By the time the trigger had been pulled, he already knocked the madman's arm to the side enough that the bullet simply blew a small hole in the ceiling. Without the slightest bit of hesitance, Daniel threw his entire body into a tackle that sent both him and Clarice hurtling over the railing and down to the first floor of the Osiris Red dorm. "What the hell are you doing here!?"

With speed and skill impossible of a human, Clarice back-flipped three times and placed a good twenty feet of distance between himself and Daniel. "I'm here because the nice man in the black cloak asked me to be a distraction." Lifting his arm, he revealed an old-fashioned silver and black duel disk. "So how about a fun little duel?"

("A distraction? What kind of distraction?") Daniel glanced behind him to see all of the Osiris Red students who had been awakened from the gunshot. "Everyone, please go inside and watch this. I'm about to show you how a champion duelist does things." He whistled sharply.

Griff threw his duel disk down to the half wolf-demon, who caught it and shoved his deck into it. With practiced ease Daniel slid the device onto his arm and activated it. "Alright Clarice, I don't know how you got here and I don't care! Let's duel!"

Daniel- 4000

Clarice- 4000

From underneath his mask, Clarice's smiled slowly widened. ("This is what I missed…the rush of a duel just starting. Soon you'll experience the power given to me. After you, Anderson will be next. Then I'll reclaim my lost title!") "Challenger gets first honors! Draw!"

Clarice snapped a card off of his deck and compared it to the other five he had. "So tell me, have you lost your touch over the years? While I was in hiding, I heard of your many successes, but that proves nothing to me."

Daniel glanced at his five cards and smiled slightly. ("My Soul Deck…I carry you with me because all of the cards within you are attuned to my heart. And now we're going to send this guy to hell.") He growled calmly. "No one pulls a gun on my son. You hear me Clarice, no one!"

"Son?" The madman threw back his head and cackled crazily. "Even I know the difference between a boy and a girl!"

From up in the doorway of his room, Ichigo winced. ("He's gonna blow my cover!")

Daniel had the same line of thoughts going through his head as well. "Shut up and play."

"That's fine with me. You're no fun anyhow!" Clarice slapped a card onto his disk. "I summon Skilled Dark Magician (1900/1700) in attack mode!" A man in grey and black robes appeared on his field. "And then I set one card face-down. Let the greatest show in the world begin!"

"You want a show? I'll give you a real show." Daniel drew. "I set four cards face-down on my field and summon Elemental Hero-Sparkman (1600/1400) in attack mode!" A blue and yellow body-suited hero appeared on the field, lightning crackling around its form. "End turn!"

("He risked setting four cards huh? Oh well, his mistake!") Clarice drew. "I play the continuous magic card Magic-Sealing Arrows!" A holographic representation of the card appeared on the field, spitting a wave of arrows out that slashed into all of Daniel's face-down cards, pinning them to the earth. "Now all I have to do is discard one card from my hand every turn and you won't be able to play any of those cards!" Clarice's laughter echoed through the night. "Skilled Dark Magician, attack Elemental Hero-Sparkman!" The mage unleashed a wave of purple energy that blew the super-hero apart. "End turn!"

Daniel- 3700

Clarice- 4000

"Dad!" Ichigo nearly screamed out. ("All of his cards are useless now! It's just the first turn and he's stuck.")

Frowning, Griff and Krieger pulled Ichigo inside their room before someone noticed the fact that there was a girl in the Osiris Red dorms.

Daniel narrowed his eyes as he glanced at each of the pinned cards in turn. "Clarice, you did exactly what I wanted you to do. Draw!" He snapped the top card off of his deck, glanced at it, and smirked. "I summon Elemental Hero-Clayman (800/2000) in defense mode! End turn!" A blocking humanoid made of clay appeared on the field in a crouching position.

"You think that will stop me!? How wrong you are, fool!" Clarice drew. "First I discard one card to pay for my Magic-Sealing Arrows, and then I summon Skilled White Magician (1700/1900) in defense mode!" A white-robed spellcaster appeared on the field in a crouching position. "Also, I set one card face-down. End turn!"

"My turn, draw!" Daniel drew. "I play the magic card Call for a Hero! This will allow me to fuse one hero monster on my field with one hero monster in my graveyard. All it will cost me is 1000 life points too!"

Daniel- 2700

Clarice- 4000

"Now Elemental Heroes Clayman and Sparkman will fuse together!" Clayman faded away and was replaced by a towering giant of humanoid in yellow and white armor. Lightning crackled along its body, and throwing back its head it roared out a battle-cry that shook the sky. "Elemental Hero-Thunder Giant (2400/1000) in attack mode!"

"Heh, what a piece of trash. I'll blow it away if it dares to attack me." Clarice felt supremely confident that his trap cards were more than enough to deal with Pilkington's monster.

"That's what you believe, Clarice. Thunder Giant activates its special ability now!" Up above them lightning arched through the sky. "When he is brought to the field, he will destroy one monster with an attack original attack strength lower than his own. So activate Vapor Sparks!" A lightning bolt fell down from the sky and blew Skilled Dark Magician apart. "End turn."

"Why didn't he attack?" Krieger widened his eyes and leaned a little farther over the railing.

Griff had a basic understanding why. "If either of that guy's face-down cards were traps, then he'd have no defense once Thunder Giant is destroyed."

Clarice drew. "I discard one card to keep my continuous magic card in effect. Then I set one monster and end my turn."

("He's trying to goad me into attacking.") Daniel drew. "I summon Elemental Hero-Featherman (1000/1000) in defense mode!" A man in a bright green feathered suit appeared on the field in a crouching position. "End turn."

Clarice drew and discarded for his Arrows. "I set one card and end my turn!"

"So now you have to discard every card you draw for the rest of the game if you want to keep me from using my face-down cards. Clarice, the only one of us out of practice around here is you! My turn, draw!" The half wolf-demon snapped the top card off of his deck, glanced at it, and smiled. "I play the magic card Hero in Training! This will allow me to sacrifice one Elemental Hero monster on my field to special summon another from my hand!" Featherman disappeared and was replaced by a gold-armored super-hero whose suit was built to slash through almost anything. "I special summon Elemental Hero-Edgeman!" (2600/1400) "End turn."

("He had to try and attack eventually.") Clarice drew and discarded to keep his Magic-Sealing Arrows from being destroyed. "End turn."

"My…" A chill shot through Daniel's body. Slowly, he looked over towards the inside of the island fearfully. ("What was that energy I sensed?")

"_I'm here because the nice man in the black cloak asked me to be a distraction." _

("I nearly forgot!") Spinning around, Daniel yelled up towards Ichigo's room. "Hey, get going and find out what this psycho is being a distraction for!"

Even from inside her room, Ichigo heard it loud and clear. "Right…come on you guys!" Grabbing her deck and duel disk, she ran down the stairs and with speed that only a demon could achieve she was out of sight before anyone could notice her.

Nodding to each other, Griff and Krieger followed right behind.

("Good…now then, back to the madman.") "…Draw!" Daniel snapped the top card off of his deck. "End turn."

Clarice drew and discarded. "End turn."

Daniel drew next. ("He's locked himself up. How can he hope to win if I have the stronger monsters and he is constantly discarding?") "End turn."

"Then the turn is now mine." Clarice drew. "I discard…and then I reveal my trap card! Activate Picking up the Pieces!"

"Picking up the Pieces!?" Daniel grimaced. That card allowed Clarice to pick up all cards from his graveyard that he had discarded because of a single card.

Pulling six cards out of the graveyard, Clarice threw back his head and cackled insanely. "So you want to be a hero, eh!? When what's the point of being a hero if there is no one to save? Let me fix that problem for you with this magic card!" One of the six cards was entered into his disk. "I activated the continuous magic card Scales of Light and Dark!"

"Scales of Light and Dark!? What does that do?" Daniel couldn't believe they'd make a card with such a strange name.

Clarice pointed back at the windows to the dorm rooms. "Take a look for yourself."

Daniel risked a glance behind him and paled. On the foreheads of each of the students who were watching the duel in the windows was a strange symbol of a skull biting into a heart. "What in the…"

"Allow me to explain. This magic card was given to me by that nice man that freed me. It had just turned this duel into a special darkness game. The difference is that instead of you being in danger, all of those around you will be. They cannot see the marks, so don't bother hoping they will run. And yelling to them won't work either, because those marks stay until this duel ends. Now every time you lose 500 life points, one of them will lose their soul. Can you risk that? Do you want to risk that!?" Clarice threw back his head and laughed once more.

"You bastard! How dare you involve innocent kids in this duel!!!" Daniel pondered his chances of running over and killing Clarice. "I will not forgive you…do you hear me!?"

"I hear you loud and clear, wolfy." Clarice tapped a button on his duel disk. "Now can you hear two of your students crying out in eternal pain as I flip up my trap card, Just Desserts? This will drain you of 500 life points per monster under your control. That means…" He left the rest to hang in the air. "They will suffer…and it will be all your fault."

Daniel's eyes were wide in complete and total horror as a spectral hand appeared on the field in front of him. "No…." Silently, it launched forwards to drain his life points and the souls of two innocent bystanders.

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The black-cloaked form sensed the approach of the first Seal-Bearer. _("They come to stop me. That cannot be allowed.")_ It looked back behind it at the graveyard that was in front of the mansion, and reached out with its will. _("Hear me...darkness of the blackest souls! All those evil and hateful thoughts that linger in this place…awaken and bar their passage. Come forth…Reaper of the Grave!")_

Leaving the now churning earth and the being within it to deal with the Seal-Bearer, the form entered the mansion. _("The second Seal will never be opened.")_

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Ichigo charged through the blown open gate doors of the mansion, ready for whatever evil energy she sensed in this place.

"You…will…not…pass…" A rasping voice said slowly. It had come from right inside the entryway of the building.

Trying to avoid passing out from the horrible stench of death that lingered in this place, Ichigo considered her chances of getting around whoever stood in her way.

"Jeeze 't you have run just a little bit slower?" Griff felt completely out of breath.

Even Krieger didn't feel all that fresh anymore.

"What's this?" The voice rasped out. "At first I thought I'd just get the little girl to play with…but now I get you two as well? Oh joy…oh joy…" The owner of the voice stepped into the light of moon.

Ichigo, Krieger, and Griff all turned differing shades of green.

Their confronter could have been considered a human being…had it not been for the fact that he was a decayed corpse. Grayed skin barely held on to yellowed bones, and where there should have been eyes were just empty sockets filled with dirt. And yet somehow the corpse could see them. "It's been so long since I've felt the touch of a woman. Come here…." Lifting one bony hand, the monster motioned for Ichigo to come to it.

"Who are you?" Ichigo asked, feeling bile rise in her throat at the thought of being touched by that…thing.

"Me?" Opening its mouth, the creature sprayed out a mix of worms and dark earth in the form of a laugh. "They called me…Wraith."

"Wraith!?" Griff gulped and took a couple of steps back towards the gateway. "But…but…but…"

"Griff, you know him?" Krieger didn't dare take his eyes off the monster that stood in front of them.

"Not…personally. He was a…well he was a lot of bad things. Obsessed with the dark arts and their relation to Duel Monsters. He died three years ago, and was buried here." The Egyptian boy was quickly reminded that they were talking to someone who was supposed to be many years dead. "And…how about we run away now?"

A green blob oozed out of Wraith's lips, painting his teeth and the surrounding flaps of gray skin a dark green. "I lick my lips…at the thought of getting to chase…once more." He shambled just a little closer towards them. "You're a bit older than what I'm used to…but little girl…won't you come and play a game with me? I'll give you a rare card if you win."

Ichigo suddenly understood all too well what one of the 'bad things' that Wraith did were. "You…sick bastard!"

"You don't wanna play?" Wraith shambled closer. "I promise to be gentle…at least at first."

"I…I…" Ichigo was about ready to forget all about the energy signature she sensed…because this sick monster had to return to the grave now!

"How about you pick on someone your own size, ass!?" Krieger stepped forward, his duel disk already loaded and on. "I challenge you to a duel!"

Wraith slid to a halt and slowly turned his decayed skull over to look at the half cat-demon. "Eh? You wish to duel? Sure…let's play a little darkness game." All around them the darkness got thicker. Reaching out one rotted arm, Wraith suddenly had a rusted old duel disk on.

Krieger glanced back at Ichigo and Griff. "Remember, he's a distraction. Besides Ichigo, you have the Blessings of Luna with you. I have a feeling that it will be important. So get going and stop whatever is in there!"

Ichigo frowned, but nodded her consent and ran around Wraith. Griff followed right behind her.

Wraith paid them no mind. His attention was fully on Krieger now. "Let…the darkness…come. If there is one thing I have missed…besides the touch of flesh…it is the screams of pain that can only come from damage to the soul."

Krieger narrowed his eyes. "I'll send you back to Hell, where you can continue to burn."

_To be continued…_

Author's Notes: And so the Nameless One makes his move against our heroes. What is the next Seal? And why is he trying to make sure it is never broken?

To Adriel: ……………………I hate Rope of Life. ::Leaps back into the muck:: I'll stay in here, thank you very much. When I die just bring me back with Monster Reborn.

To Isumo: Just out of curiousity, still wish ta laugh?

To Bobbomp: Eri…is…not…to…be…fooled…with…why…can't…I…stop…writing…like…this?

To Anime Albino: Tense enough for ya?

To GryphinWyrm7: We'll just have to wait and see what the other seals do, ne?

To Hogwarts-Knight: Yep…the Pilkington family is cursed to suffer weird supernatural crap until they pay their taxes.

To John: Funnier than wood? I'm going to take that as an insult…and for insulting me Mr. Coconut's going to whoop on your ass! Go Mr. Coconut…KILL!!!

To Seeker of the Soul: All I will say in response to that is that Parent's Day is going to be fun.

To gohan11: Daniel had used Blowback Dragon numerous times.

To Dais: That answer your question about the villains?

To TheMysticWanderer: Emergency Provisions…is a real game card.


	19. Tipping the Scales

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 19: Tipping the Scales

_Pulling six cards out of the graveyard, Clarice threw back his head and cackled insanely. "So you want to be a hero, eh!? When what's the point of being a hero if there is no one to save? Let me fix that problem for you with this magic card!" One of the six cards was entered into his disk. "I activated the continuous magic card Scales of Light and Dark!"_

"_Scales of Light and Dark!? What does that do?" Daniel couldn't believe they'd make a card with such a strange name._

_Clarice pointed back at the windows to the dorm rooms. "Take a look for yourself."_

_Daniel risked a glance behind him and paled. On the foreheads of each of the students who were watching the duel in the windows was a strange symbol of a skull biting into a heart. "What in the…"_

"_Allow me to explain. This magic card was given to me by that nice man that freed me. It had just turned this duel into a special darkness game. The difference is that instead of you being in danger, all of those around you will be. They cannot see the marks, so don't bother hoping they will run. And yelling to them won't work either, because those marks stay until this duel ends. Now every time you lose 500 life points, one of them will lose their soul. Can you risk that? Do you want to risk that!?" Clarice threw back his head and laughed once more._

"_You bastard! How dare you involve innocent kids in this duel!!!" Daniel pondered his chances of running over and killing Clarice. "I will not forgive you…do you hear me!?"_

"_I hear you loud and clear, wolfy." Clarice tapped a button on his duel disk. "Now can you hear two of your students crying out in eternal pain as I flip up my trap card, Just Desserts? This will drain you of 500 life points per monster under your control. That means…" He left the rest to hang in the air. "They will suffer…and it will be all your fault."_

_Daniel's eyes were wide in complete and total horror as a spectral hand appeared on the field in front of him. "No…." Silently, it launched forwards to drain his life points and the souls of two innocent bystanders._

The hand clamped down on Daniel's throat, squeezing mercilessly. But he wouldn't let himself get moved. ("Nor will I let you hurt anyone but me!")

Daniel- 700

Clarice- 4000

"Eh?" Clarice looked down at the life point counter in confusion. "Why are you so damaged? And why didn't any of those little brats in the window get hurt!?"

"Because…" Daniel gasped and fell to one knee. "I paid the special price of your scales."

"Special prices of my scales!?" Clarice looked down at his field. "What are you babbling about!?"

"I managed to read the text on the card when you played it….and to protect the souls of the marked I may choose to double whatever damage I take. So instead of me losing 1000 life points and two students, I just lost 2000 life points." Daniel slowly came to his feet. "I told you before…and I'll tell you again. You will not hurt these CHILDREN!" He drew. "I set one monster in defense mode. End turn."

Clarice drew. "You think I give a damn? This is still a darkness game, and the loser will still be banished into hell. Get it!? If you lose, you will be destroyed!!!"

Daniel smiled slightly. "It's not like it hasn't happened before. So take your turn or pass, Clarice."

"Very well, foolish wolfy. End turn for now." Clarice discarded to keep his Magic-Sealing Arrows in effect.

Daniel drew, but he didn't even bother to waste his efforts looking at the card. "I flip up my face-down monster card, Fiber Jar!" (500/500) A tree with a rocket built into its trunk appeared on the field. "When it is flipped up, we shuffle all of our cards back into our deck and draw a new hand of five! This will get rid of your Scales of Light and Dark!" In one bright flash of blue light, the field was almost empty.

"Not quite right, wolfiness!" Clarice threw back his head and motioned to Scales of Light and Dark. "My Scales cannot be removed from the field once they arrive! That means that you cannot save these children with your paltry tricks."

"That's fine with me, Clarice. I have yet to summon a monster this turn!" The half wolf-demon slid five cards off of his deck and slapped one onto his disk. "I summon Elemental Hero-Burst Lady (1200/800) in attack mode!" A woman in a red spandex suit appeared on the field. "Burst Fire!" Throwing her hands together, the woman sprayed Clarice with red flames. "I also set one card face-down. End turn!"

Daniel- 700

Clarice- 2800

Clarice drew calmly, actually seeming sane for a few seconds. Then he shattered that image by throwing back his head and laughing crazily. "This is the battle I craved for so long! I missed the fun that comes from a true duelist as an opponent. You…I like you. I summon Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer (1800/700) in attack mode!" A man in monk's robes appeared on his field. "Guess what that means…you've lost. Either you take double damage and lose, or else one of your students loses their soul. Banishment Ofuda!" The monk pulled a slip of paper out of his robes and threw it across the field towards to Burst Lady.

"I'm not anywhere near finished yet Clarice. Activate trap card, Underdog's Final Blow! I can activate this trap card when you attack a monster on my field with a creature stronger than it. It will double my monster's attack for the battle, and then the strengthened monster will die at the end of the battle step." (2400/800) The Burst Lady charged up a fireball that she threw across the field. It intercepted the slip of paper, blew it into ash, and then destroyed its owner.

Daniel- 700

Clarice- 2400

From within the smoke caused by Burst Lady's attack, Clarice laughed maniacally. "I love it! You're matching me move for move! Well, don't think me defenseless! I discard one card from my hand to special summon the Tricky (2000/1700) to the field in attack mode!" When the smoke cleared a strange spellcaster with a question mark in the center of its head was hovering on the field. "End turn."

"My turn…draw!" Daniel snapped the top card off of his deck, glanced at it, and flicked it into his hand. "I play the magic card Heart of a Hero! This will allow me to discard two cards from my hand to fuse a monster from my deck with one from my hand or field!" Though he had to essentially toss out his whole hand, it was worth it for the amount of damage he was about to deal. "So I'll fuse the second Burst Lady I was holding with Elemental Hero-Featherman!" (1000/1000)

An androgynous humanoid monster appeared on the field, half of it red scales and the other half green feathers. One of its arms was a giant dragon head. "I special summon Elemental Hero-Flame Wingman (2100/1800) in attack mode! Attack the Tricky! Flame Shooter!"

Transforming into a fireball, the monster slammed into Clarice's spellcaster and blew it apart. "Now you lose life points equal to the attack of the monster my Flame Wingman destroyed! So have a taste of your own medicine, jerk!"

Clarice stumbled backwards as Flame Wingman aimed its dragon head hand at him and sprayed him with a wave of fire that was as close to real as it could get without killing him.

Daniel- 700

Clarice- 300

Daniel felt slightly better now, but wouldn't feel better until Clarice was completely defeated. "End turn."

Clarice was on his hands and knees, smoke pouring from his body. "You…" The madman slowly came to his feet. "…made a big mistake by using up your entire hand to summon that piece of trash." He drew. "First I'll play Pot of Greed to draw two cards from my deck." After doing so, the 'magician' slapped down a monster. "And let's have a big round of applause for Voodoo Sorcerer in attack mode!" (900/1200) A bare-chested man with all kinds of strange arcane symbols tattooed across his body appeared on the field.

"What can he do to Flame Wingman? I've still got you by the metaphorical balls, Clarice." Daniel knew he sounded smug, but honestly he was trying to reinforce his confidence. With no cards in his hand, he was wide open to almost anything.

"I'd think an expert of this game would know that monsters are only a third of your strategy. Oh well, I guess you wouldn't think this Riryoku magic card that I am playing would be much of a threat then, would you?" Clarice threw back his head and cackled, while Riryoku's effect cut the attack of Flame Wingman in half and transferred that attack point difference to Voodoo Sorcerer. (1050/1800) (1950/1200) "Now then, what were you saying about my balls?"

"Err….that didn't come out right." Daniel blushed slightly. "So…yeah…er…."

Clarice wasn't in the mood for stupid conversation. "Voodoo Sorcerer, end this now!"

Daniel's embarrassment disappeared in an instant. "I activate the second effect of Heart of a Hero! When it is in my graveyard and I used its effect, I may remove it from play to negate one attack against an Elemental Hero!" His graveyard slot spat out the card, which he took and slid into his back pocket. "Are you done?"

Grimacing, Clarice nodded quietly. "End turn." In a flash of light, the attack of Flame Wingman and Voodoo Sorcerer were returned to normal. (900/1200) (2100/1800)

Daniel drew. "Then get ready for the end, because I don't intend to be merciful to someone who would endanger the lives of students! Flame Wingman, Flame Shooter!" This time, the hero monster just sprayed a wave of fire from its dragon head arm.

"Voodoo Sorcerer special ability activate now! Voodoo Control!" Clarice discarded a card from his hand. "So I'll toss this monster and negate your attack!" A wall of puppet strings appeared and blocked the fire wave. "Heh…denied!"

"I won't let you scare me, Clarice. I end my turn by playing Elemental Hero-Clayman in defense mode!" (800/2000) A blocky humanoid that looked like it was made of clay appeared on his field in a crouching position.

Clarice drew, glanced at the card, and then twisted his Voodoo Sorcerer card into defense mode. "I switch my monster into defense mode and end my turn."

Daniel took a deep breath, trying to calm the rush of blood in his ears. ("I'm getting too excited…gotta stop for a second and calm down or else I might lose it.") Seconds later he opened his eyes and drew. "Alright, let's get this party started! I set one card face-down and attack Voodoo Sorcerer with Flame Wingman!"

Clarice discarded another card from his hand. "I can play this game as long as you can." Another wall of puppet strings snapped up from nowhere and blocked the super-hero's attack.

"Yeah…I expected as much. End turn." The half wolf-demon wouldn't get pissed off.

"Wolfie…you've been a lot of fun, but I think it's time for me to wrap this up and go kill your kid. That's okay with you, right?" Clarice drew.

Daniel narrowed his eyes slowly, and clenched his fists. ("I…will not lose my temper. He's doing this on purpose.")

Cackling, Clarice glanced at the drawn card. "End turn."

"My turn…draw." Daniel felt cold now…as if his heart had turned to ice. ("The Heart of the Duelist…") He calmly smiled. "I'm in my groove now. You're magic act is about to come to an end. Flame Wingman attacks, and is negated by your Sorcerer's effect. End turn."

Clarice discarded and then drew. "Your groove? I wouldn't think of you as a dancer from a glance. Of course I suppose we all have our secrets, don't we?" Sliding a card into his disk, the magician placed a card onto his disk as well. "I set a monster and a magic/trap card. End turn."

("He set a monster…which means that he wants me to attack it with Flame Wingman.") Daniel drew and pointed at the face-down monster. "You never get anywhere by being too cautious! Flame Wingman, attack with Flame Shooter!" The super-hero launched across the field, turning a fire-ball half way there. Upon impact, it blew the defense monster to ash. "I…beat it? Well damn…I guess it was a bluff. Flame Wingman, toast him with your special ability!"

Clarice slid the last card in his hand into the graveyard. "I was waiting for that."

Flame Wingman hovered right in front of Clarice, charging a ball of flame just for the magician within its dragon head arm. Then it exploded.

"What!?" Daniel couldn't believe it. "What trap did you activate!?"

"A little something called Hexblaster. By discarding one card from my hand, I can negate any effect and destroy whatever was going to try and use it." Clarice discarded his trap card, his laughter dying down to a quiet chuckle.

Daniel placed a card onto his disk. "Then I set a monster and end my turn."

"Then it's back to me, the magnificent Clarice! Draw!" Clarice drew and threw the card onto his disk. "I summon Spell Brute (2200/0) in attack mode!" A lumbering monster with strange arcane symbols all over its body appeared on the field. "To attack, I have to remove a spellcaster from my graveyard. Easily done though, since I have eight of them in there. Spell Brute, crush Clayman!" Roaring, the monster charged across the field and in one punch Daniel only had his face-down monster for a defense. "End turn."

Daniel drew. "Alright…I'm impressed. You're definitely as skilled as you were twenty years ago. Of course, I've changed a lot in that time. Normally I'd go for something flashy to try and finish you off, but it's time to get down and dirty!" He slid the two cards in his hand into his disk. "First I set two cards face-down on the field."

"Then I flip up my face-down monster!" A blue and yellow body-suited super-hero appeared on the field, lightning crackling around his body. "I summon Elemental Hero-Sparkman (1600/1400) in attack mode! Attack his Voodoo Sorcerer now! Spark Slash!" The hero charged up a bolt of lightning in one hand, and then hurled it across the expanse to blast the spellcaster into oblivion. "End turn."

Clarice laughed a bit louder. "You understand that I'm not afraid of your bluffs, right? Draw!" The madman screamed in pure delight. "AHA! I summon Dokurizo the Trap Reaper (1600/600) in attack mode!" A howling phantom wielding a scythe appeared on the field. "While he is on the field, you can't activate trap cards! Therefore…DIE! Spell Brute, attack Sparkman and crush this fool!" Roaring, the giant lumbered forwards.

Daniel wasn't afraid. "It's a shame that my face-down card I'm using is a quickplay magic card, eh? Go Underdog's Retaliation! This requires that I have one of the weakest monsters on the field, and if I do I may sacrifice it to send your monster's attack back at the rest of your creatures! This is the end for you, Clarice!" Sparkman exploded, turning into a forked lightning bolt that slammed into both of Clarice's monsters. "And since your Reaper was hit by a 2200 point attack, you're about to lose the rest of your life points. I win!"

"Not quite!" Not even fazed by the destruction of his two monsters, the magician duelist pulled a card out of his deck and slapped it onto the field. "I activate Spell Brute's special ability. By sacrificing it and one other monster, I may special summon a spellcaster from my deck with 300 or less attack points to the field. And since I sacrificed them before your magic effect could strike, I emerge from this unharmed."

Daniel snarled, and then took a deep breath to clear his thought. "I'm not out by a longshot! Summon your monster, Clarice!"

"Very well, wolfiness." A crazy-haired short magician with a cooking pot on his head and a rubber chicken in one hand appeared on Clarice's field. "Insanity Magician (100/1000) in attack mode!"

Daniel face-fell instantly. "That's it!? What kind of spellcaster is that!?"

"You'll see soon enough. Insanity Magician, direct attack!" Laughing stupidly, the 'spellcaster' ran up to Daniel and smacked him in the face with the rubber chicken. "And when Insanity Magician attacks your life points directly, I may destroy all cards on your field!" In one flash of light Daniel was alone, with no trap or magic cards to protect himself with. "Finally, the second special ability of Insanity Magician switches it into defense mode. End turn."

Daniel- 600

Clarice- 300

Daniel had a couple of veins bulging out of his forehead now. "I…draw!" Glancing at the card, he smiled in a way that screamed predator. "I'm just going to set this and end my turn. You're up…Clarice."

"And so you bluff once more!" Glancing at the drawn card, Clarice smirked and flipped it over. "Go Dark Magic Curtain! By paying half of my life points I can special summon one Dark Magician (2500/2100) from my deck to the field!" A huge curtain appeared on his field, and when it withdrew the purple-robed form of Clarice's favorite monster stood on the field. "Now I switch Insanity Magician into attack mode and go after your life points! When I clear away your trap, you'll be all mine!" Laughing once more, the short little spellcaster stumbled across the field to smack Daniel again.

Or so Clarice had wished. Daniel had other plans. "I activate my face-down quickplay magic card, which is called Spirit of the Legendary Hero!" There was a flash of light and a shadowy form of Flame Wingman appeared on the field. "This will special summon out one fusion Elemental Hero from my graveyard to the field. This monster is a special form of creature known simply as a Courageous Ghost. It cannot deal players life point damage, but it can hurt monsters. Flame Wingman, destroy Insanity Magician and deal him 100 life points of damage thanks to your special ability. Flame Shooter!"

The hero ghost roared out a battle cry and unleashed a wave of fire that instantly consumed the Insanity Magician. A bit of the flame lapped at Clarice's face as well.

Daniel- 600

Clarice- 50

Growling angrily, Clarice pointed at the Flame Wingman ghost. "Kill it, Dark Magic Attack!" Nodding, the spellcaster unleashed a wave of inverted light that blew Daniel's super-hero monster apart. "End turn. Now let's see you pull off a victory when I've got my Dark Magician in play."

Daniel- 200

Clarice- 50

Taking a deep breath, Daniel felt a tingle in his chest. ("I feel you calling to me…my friend.") Smiling slightly, he closed his eyes and drew. "I'll defeat you with my true power. I draw!" Without looking he slid it into his magic/trap zone. "I play Pot of Greed!" Two more cards slid off of his deck, though he had yet to open his eyes.

"How did you know that was Pot of Greed?" Clarice believed in magic, but he also believed in cheating.

"Trust me Clarice, you'll never reach the level I have. Until you do that, you will never truly understand how I knew what card it was." Daniel's smile widened slightly, as eyes still closed, he placed another card onto his disk. "I summon Elemental Hero-Bubbleman (800/1200) in defense mode!" A man in a strange aqua-blue armor suit appeared on the field in a crouching position.

"When I have no cards on the field and Bubbleman is summoned, I may draw two cards." Sliding two cards off of his deck, the half wolf-demon smiled just a little wider. Throughout all of this he never opened his eyes. "This is the end Clarice! I play another Heart of a Hero!"

"Another one?" Clarice cackled. "What can you fuse with that loser on your field?"

Bubbleman and Daniel both smiled at the insult. "First I discard the two cards in my hand, and then I choose the monster from my deck to fuse with Bubbleman!" With the ease of a master, he removed the top card of his deck. "This is the monster I'm fusing with Bubbleman."

Snapping it up so that Clarice could see it, he smiled as his acute hearing picked up the gasp of surprise. "From your reaction, I bet the look on your face must be priceless right now. Anyway…I'm fusing Elemental Hero-Bubbleman with the man himself, Jinzo!" (2400/1500) In a flash of light, the green armored humanoid appeared on the field next to the superhero monster.

"Fuse Jinzo and Bubbleman!? Who'd put those two together!?" Clarice sounded more scared than anything else.

Daniel's face reflected what he felt in his heart at the moment. Ice. "I would. Fuse now!" The two monsters were pulled into each other, creating a huge burst of blue and green light. "Try this on for size…" As the light died down, a version of Jinzo that was covered in spherical aqua-blue armor appeared on the field in a crouching position. "Elemental Hero-Bubble Shocker in defense mode!" (2000/2500)

Clarice, as well as the rest of the Osiris Red students, stared at the new monster. "What the….it's weaker than Jinzo was."

"Perhaps so…" Daniel's face, though eyes still closed, reflected an icy demeanor that could put even Eri's glares to shame. "But that's not why I summoned it to the field. It's special ability activates if it is summoned and I have no cards in hand or on my field." He slid six cards off of his deck. "I draw six cards." He immediately slammed one of the six into his disk. "Now I use De-Fusion to break Bubble Shocker back into its original parts!" The fused superhero shimmered and returned to Jinzo and Bubbleman. "And then I'll play Polymerization to fuse the Elemental Hero-Sparkman in my hand together with Jinzo!"

"Another superhero fusion!?" Clarice paled as he realized just what this new monster might be able to do. "It couldn't be able to…"

"Actually Clarice, it can!" Jinzo disappeared and was replaced moments later by a version of itself that was covered in shining steel-grey armor. "Elemental Hero-Tesla Shocker!" (0/3000)

"What the hell will that wall do to my mighty magician!?" Clarice was shivering now. It was like the very ice that Pilkington was projecting was actually affecting the air around them.

"It'll destroy it, thanks to its special ability. By discarding two cards from my hand, I can blast any one monster off the field! Good-bye Dark Magician! Thunder…Storm!" A barrage of lightning bolts blew the spellcaster apart.

Clarice had already braced himself so the darkness game backlash barely hurt. What hurt more was his pride. "You think that you will stop me that easily!? I'll get around your two defenders and wipe you out next turn!" His rant was cut off as an echoing explosion shook Daniel's field and the half wolf-demon's monsters were destroyed. "What the…"

"Allow me to explain," Through the smoke, Daniel smirked coldly. "By playing the last card in my hand, I've sealed your fate. Destructive Rebirth allows me to sacrifice two monsters on my field to special summon one monster from either graveyard!"

Now the magician duelist knew it was over. He was going to lose to his opponent's Jinzo. "Damn it all…I won't be defeated by this close of a duel!"

"Close?" Daniel went silent for a few seconds, and then threw back his head to laugh coldly. "Actually…I'm not summoning Jinzo to the field. I'll show you just how 'close' we actually are when it comes to strength! Return to the field, Elemental Hero-Bubbleman." For a third time in this duel the aqua-blue superhero returned. "And since I've got no other cards on my field, I draw twice!" Two cards were snapped off from his deck. "And now I'll show you just how worthless you really are!"

"Worthless!?" Growling angrily, Clarice flourished his cape out behind him. "I am the Magnificent…"

"You're nothing and I'm about to show you exactly why!" Daniel slid both cards into his disk. "First I play Monster Reborn, bringing back Jinzo!" The earth churned as the green armored humanoid returned to its master's field. "Then I play my second Polymerization!" In another explosion of blue and green light, the two monsters fused once more. "Elemental Hero-Bubble Shocker in defense mode. And since I have no cards in my hand or on my field other than Shocker, I draw six cards!"

"What's the point of all of this!? Why don't you finish me off!?" Clarice was getting truly enraged now.

"SILENCE MORTAL!" Daniel nearly roared. He slammed four of the six cards into his duel disk. "Now try and keep up, if you can! First I play Fusion Breakdown, which defuses all monsters on the field and lets me special summon them back under my control." Bubble Shocker shimmered and for the second time in the match returned to Jinzo and Bubbleman.

"My second card is Glory's Call, which allows me to special summon two Elemental Heroes from my hand to field. The only downside is that now no Elemental Hero monsters on my field can attack this turn!" A trumpet sounded in the distance, and a new pair of superheroes appeared next to Jinzo and Bubbleman. "Elemental Hero-Sparkman and Elemental Hero-Clayman, both in attack mode!" (1600/1400) (800/2000)

"Thirdly is the magic card League Line-up, which allows me to remove all monsters on my field from the game, and then return them in any order. So I'll remove all of them, return Bubbleman first so that I can draw two cards, and then special summon the rest back!" Now he had two cards in his hand.

"My fourth magic card was Fusion Gate, which is a field magic card that allows duelists to fuse monsters without Polymerization." Daniel snapped up one of the two drawn cards. "I activate When One Falls! This allows me to sacrifice one Elemental Hero on my field to special summon two of them from my graveyard out!" Bubbleman disappeared and was replaced by Burst Lady and Featherman. (1200/800) (1000/1000)

The sky seemed to shake all around the two duelists. "Now I fuse Sparkman and Clayman together to create Elemental Hero-Thunder Giant!" (2400/1000) A towering titan appeared on Daniel's field, lightning crackling all around its white and yellow body.

Flames exploded along the ground between the two duelists, which added with the thunder and lightning to create a very chaotic mix of noise. "Then I fuse Featherman and Burst Lady together to recreate Flame Wingman!" (2100/1800) The androgynous green and red form of the bizarre fusion hero appeared once more on the field.

The ice in Daniel's now open eyes was gone, replaced by a fire no amount of cold could extinguish. "Now I fuse Thunder Giant, Flame Wingman, and Jinzo together to create Legendary Elemental Hero-Captain Nexus!" A strange mixture of the three monsters appeared on the field. Gold, green, and white armoring covered it from head to toe. One of its arms was a gigantic mechanical dragon head, while the other was gauntlet of equal hugeness. And its head had the same metal brilliance as the rest of it did, with a pair of red lenses for eyes. Snapping out its golden steel wings, the superhero brought its gaze down to Clarice. (3200/3000)

Flames burned around Daniel's body and within his eyes as well. "Nexus' special ability allows me to use one magic card on him infinitely, so I'll play Pump Up! This will double his attack again…and again…and again… (Infinite/3000)

Clarice stumbled backwards, his mask showing cracks where energy emanating from Nexus had damaged the porcelain. "KEEP AWAY FROM ME!!!" His insanity was warping the form of Daniel and Nexus into demons that even he could not tolerate…they were the demons that lived in his very soul.

Daniel felt the flames burn around his body. "Know this…if you ever wake up…" They leapt up higher, encircling his form and then feeding into Nexus. "That the penalty for threatening the life of my son and my students…is OBLIVION!" An aura of black and red energy erupted around him, forming cracks in the surrounding ground. "Legendary Elemental Hero-Captain Nexus attack! Cyber Flaming Thunder!" A barrage of lightning bolts, fireballs, and beams of red light slammed into Clarice's body. The darkness game translated this to exactly what Daniel wanted it to be…

Daniel- 200

Clarice- 0

When the smoke cleared, everything looked normal enough. Except for the cracks in the earth, no real damage had been done.

At least not to the surrounding area. Clarice lay in a heap on the ground, his mask destroyed and his face contorted into a silent scream.

Daniel glanced back at the Osiris Red students, and shrugged slightly. "It's amazing how realistic holograms can seem these days, huh?"

_To be continued…_

Author's Notes: I decided to finish Daniel's duel first, so that I could clean up my table and play out Krieger's and Wraith's duel. Right now though I need to get to bed, because the evil finals start tommorow. I need to be at my class at 7:30 in the morning. For a college student that's cruel and unusual punishment. And yes, Daniel loves his job and family that much.

To Dais: Don't worry, they will be kept.

To Hogwarts-Knight: Where the heck would I fit Exodia though? Oh yeah, he's collapsible….so maybe I could do it.

To gohan11: Oh well indeed, you sassy little fool! (Pardon me…I'm feeling all writer drained.)

To Isumo 1489: Thanks for the support.

To Adriel: ::Pops out of nowhere holding a glowing X:: Premature Burial is good. ::Strikes Adriel with the X:: Very handy.

To Seeker of the Soul: We will just have to see, won't we?


	20. Seal number two

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 20: Seal number two; Salamander's Rage

"_How about you pick on someone your own size, ass!?" Krieger stepped forward, his duel disk already loaded and on. "I challenge you to a duel!"_

_Wraith slid to a halt and slowly turned his decayed skull over to look at the half cat-demon. "Eh? You wish to duel? Sure…let's play a little darkness game." All around them the darkness got thicker. Reaching out one rotted arm, Wraith suddenly had a rusted old duel disk on._

_Krieger glanced back at Ichigo and Griff. "Remember, he's a distraction. Besides Ichigo, you have the Blessings of Luna with you. I have a feeling that it will be important. So get going and stop whatever is in there!"_

_Ichigo frowned, but nodded her consent and ran around Wraith. Griff followed right behind her._

_Wraith paid them no mind. His attention was fully on Krieger now. "Let…the darkness…come. If there is one thing I have missed…besides the touch of flesh…it is the screams of pain that can only come from damage to the soul."_

_Krieger narrowed his eyes. "I'll send you back to Hell, where you can continue to burn."_

Spitting up more soil through his rotted lips, Wraith drew five cards. Though he seemed incapable of any kind of coordinated movement, the living corpse somehow could use his hands perfectly to manipulate his cards. "I draw…" A sixth card joined the others in his hand. "And now let's get started…kitty boy…"

Krieger grimaced but didn't bother yelling at this thing. ("You're nothing but a dark soul returned from the darkness to try and slow Ichigo down. Well I'll make sure you never get the chance to cause problems ever again.")

"Don't feel like talking? That's a shame…you probably would…be worth a laugh or two…hero. Back there…were you just trying…to be a gentleman…for the lady's heart?" Wraith slid two cards into the slots of his rusted duel disk. "I…set two cards…face-down."

Krieger shivered at weird images that came up when Wraith mentioned 'the lady's heart'. Amongst them were Ichigo in a dress. ("Brrrr…..gotta shake his words off. He's just trying to confuse me.")

"Then I summon…Omen of Reaper (1600/1000) in attack mode." A black-robed form wielding a scythe appeared on his field. "End…turn."

Krieger snapped out whatever thoughts were going through his head instantly. ("Here I go!") "Draw!" Glancing at the cards, he saw only one possible strategy. "I summon Darkfire Soldier (1700/1150) in attack mode!" A warrior holding a scimitar and wreathed in flames appeared on his field. "Attack the Omen of Reaper!" ("Now he's going to spring one of his traps…but I'll be ready for it.")

Lunging across the field, the warrior slashed right through the undead monster and destroyed it.

Krieger- 4000

Wraith- 3900

Krieger blinked a few times, and then mentally shrugged. ("Or he could just not activate a trap and let me kill his monster. That works too.")

"Do…you even realize…what you just did?" Wraith's deck spat out a card, which floated onto his monster zone. "By…destroying Omen of Reaper…you've triggered its special ability. When it is destroyed…I may special summon…Axe Murderer (2000/1500) from me deck…to the field." A humanoid brute of a monster appeared on the field. It wore a hockey mask, and in both hands it cradled a gigantic battle axe.

Krieger paled at the sight of the horrible thing. And at the smell of it as well. ("It's real…and looks like it's angry.") Taking a card from his hand, the half cat-demon slid it into his disk. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Wraith drew slowly…the darkness flowing between him and the Axe Murderer. "This is…my deck. My precious…Murder Deck."

"Murder Deck?" Krieger knew he shouldn't have been that surprised, but it was still fairly interesting. "So…your deck revolves around death and pain? I suppose it makes plenty of sense, considering who you are."

"Exactly…right." Wraith slowly pointed one bony finger at Darkfire Soldier. "Axe Murderer attack…now!" Roaring, the monster charged across the field and slashed its axe down through Krieger's monster.

Krieger- 3700

Wraith- 3900

Krieger screamed and fell to one knee as blood exploded from a deep cut in his shoulder.

Wraith spat out more dirt, strained wheezing escaping a small hole in his throat. "The pain your monster feels…is your pain. Also, Axe Murderer…gains 700 attack points…every time he kills…a monster." (2700/1500)

"I'll…show you pain." With his other hand, Krieger pressed down on a button on his duel disk. "Activate trap card…Fire Backlash! This will deal half of Darkfire's attack in damage…to you!" The card sprayed out flames that for a few seconds consumed Wraith, but when the fires died down the corpse didn't seem damaged at all.

Krieger- 3700

Wraith- 3050

"I am…already dead. I have seen…hell and beyond…so your little firecracker…won't work on me." Wheezing out a little more laughter, the corpse tipped its head forward to Krieger. "End turn."

"You…evil…" Krieger drew. "I'm not anywhere near...AH!" A yelp broke his thoughts as the wound from the axe blow spurted out more blood. "I…set a monster and end my turn."

Wraith drew, and slid the card into his disk. "I activate…Lingering Soul…" A blob of white ectoplasm appeared on his field. "Now whenever one of your monsters…is destroyed…all monsters on my field…gain 500 attack points permanently. Axe…Murderer, attack!" Roaring, the horrible killer monster stormed across the field and slashed through Krieger's set monster. (3900/1500)

Gritting his teeth to try and fight off the pain from the wound in his shoulder, Krieger caught a card that was spat out of his deck. "You destroyed Lava Mannequin!" (1000/1200) "And when it is destroyed, I may special summon a fire monster from my deck to the field! So I special summon Fire Essence in defense mode!" (500/1500) A ball of flame appeared on his field.

"End…turn." Wraith had gone strangely quiet.

Using all of his discipline to keep from crying out in pain, Krieger drew. "I play the magic card Information Broker. By discarding two cards from my hand, I may draw four." He slid the magic card and the two discards into his graveyard, and then slid four cards off of his deck. "Now I set one monster in defense and two cards face-down. End turn!" Pain spiked up his arm as nerve endings started to fix, thanks to his demon blood.

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"Come on Griff, get the load out!" Ichigo had already explored most of the upper floors of the building. Now they needed to check the downstairs. ("Please don't let us be too late.") Spinning around a corner, she slammed right into someone and fell backwards onto her butt. "GAH! Watch where you're…" Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of a blue uniform on the individual she had ran into. ("Oh no! Obelisk Blue…")

Hitokage Seijitsu narrowed his eyes slightly at Ichigo. "Osiris Red students shouldn't be running around this place. Why are you here?" Another thought occurred to the blond-haired youth. "And who are you? I've never seen you before. And I made sure to get a good look at all of the new students."

Griff came around the corner, but instead of running into anyone he tripped on a board and fell face-first into Ichigo's back. "Why did you stop?"

"Mohistava?" This was an Osiris Red student that Hitokage knew. He'd had the displeasure (in his opinion) of knowing the boy's father, who was the undisputed top duelist in Egypt. "I'm surprised…I suppose this would be a nice quiet place to take your girlfriend, wouldn't it be?"

Griff blinked in surprise, and then looked at Ichigo. "Girlfriend!? Him?"

("Him?") Hitokage made sure to store that little bit away in his memory. "I'm even more surprised that you'd pick a demon girl…" Whatever else he planned was blasted out of him when Ichigo's elbow found its way into his stomach.

"Listen here, jerk! I'm nobody's girlfriend!" Standing up, the half-demon walked around the now wheezing Obelisk Blue student and out of sight, muttering angry curses to whichever deity thought it was funny to stick her in these situations.

Quickly recovering from undignified position, Hitokage threw Griff a little questioning glance. "She's got spunk…of course…she's also like Eri. A lot like Eri, in fact. You think they're related?"

Groaning, Griff climbed to his feet and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "It wouldn't surprise me anymore if those two shared some blood."

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Wraith drew. "You're prolonging your suffering…which is fine with me. Axe Murderer…attack his face-down monster!" Roaring, the battle-axe wielding monster slashed through the defense card, instantly destroying it and gaining an attack point bonus. (5100/1500) "End turn."

("That thing is huge!") Now that his body had repaired most of the damage from the axe blow, Krieger managed to draw without needing to bite back a scream. "So is this your strategy? Are you just going to pump that monster up to insane amounts of attack points? Well then keep him coming, because I set a monster and end my turn." The half cat-demon knew he was just stalling, but there was little else he could do at the moment.

"You're wasting my time and yours…foolish boy." Wraith drew. "I discard one card from my hand…to play the magic card…Tribute to the Doomed, which will destroy your set monster." A storm of bandages launched across the field and tied the hidden monster into a large ball of the linen material. A huge rotted hand reached up out of the ground and pulled the ball out of existence.

"Then I play the magic card…Grasp of Abyss. This will drain me of life points equal to the attack of a face-up monster on your field, but…it will kill your…Fire Essence." Another hand exploded out of the ground and pulled the monster into oblivion. "Now…Axe Murderer will finish you…Kill him…" Snarling, the masked killer monster charged across the field to cut Krieger down.

"Reverse card open!" One of Krieger's face-down cards flipped up. "I activate the quickplay magic card Mind Prison! By discarding a card from my hand I can stop your monster's attack and force you to discard a card from your hand for every three level stars your monster has! That means you need to get rid of two cards!"

Unfazed by the fact that his monster was stopped, Wraith discarded two cards from his hand. Now he only had one card. "I…end my…turn."

Krieger drew. ("That was the last of my stalling I can do. If I don't get a way to turn this around right now, I'm finished!") Glancing at the card, he smirked and slapped it onto his disk. "I summon Ultimate Baseball Kid (500/1500) in attack mode!" A short little caricature of a baseball player appeared on his field. "End turn!"

"What…will that do?" Wraith slid a card off of his deck and pointed at the Baseball Kid. "Axe Murderer….attack!"

"Not this turn! Reverse card open, Fire Tempest!" A whirlwind of flame sprang up between the two monsters. "This will negate your monster's attack and let me select one fire attribute monster in my graveyard to add to my hand!" Fishing a card out of his graveyard, Krieger knew that he was safe for now.

"Then once more…end turn." Wraith had been trapped in the flaming pits of the abyss for the longest time. He could be infinitely patient if that was what it took to win.

Krieger drew. ("Come on…give me something worthwhile!") One look at the card and he knew that his luck was improving. "Pot of Greed…activate!" Popping his arm a couple of times to get the kinks out of the newly repaired muscle, Krieger drew twice. "I set one monster in defense and switch Ultimate Baseball Kid into defense mode! End turn."

Wraith drew. "So…you think that…your stalling…will work?" Wheezing laughter forced its way out of the corpse's lips. "Not a chance…I play Cloak of Midnight. This equipment…magic card allows…Axe Murderer to attack you…directly." A black shroud of smoke started to fall around the monster.

"Not if I have anything to say about it! I might not have set any trap cards, but I can still activate this magic card from my hand by discarding one card!" Krieger slid the magic card and the discard into his graveyard. "Activate Anti-Magic Fireball!" A ball of blue flame appeared and slammed into the shroud, dissolving it. "This will counter your magic card."

"Axe Murderer…will still attack your….defender." Roaring, the killer monster slammed its axe through the Ultimate Baseball Kid, blowing it apart and raising its attack points. (6300/1500) "End turn."

When Krieger's hand touched his deck, he felt a familiar voice screech in his mind. Drawing, he flipped the card over to reveal his rarest monster. ("Horus…do you think we have a chance to beat a monster with that many attack points? It's so powerful now.") The screech of his monster echoed once more in his mind. ("You're right…we still might have a way.") "I set one monster and end my turn!"

Wraith drew. "You're…running out of defenders. Eventually your deck will be drained…Axe Murderer…attack the currently set creature!" One axe blow later, the masked killer monster was even stronger. (7500/1500) "End turn."

("He's just putting all of his power into that Axe Murderer. Even with the cards I have in my hand, I won't be able to make you strong enough Horus.") The cards in his hand pulsed with energy and warmth, reassuring him that there was a way to win. "Draw!" Snapping the card off of his deck, he slid it into his disk. "End turn."

Wraith drew slowly, not even noticing as a worm burrowed out of one eye socket and fell to the ground. "I…will not lose. I'll never go back to that place…Axe Murderer, destroy his defender!" The already titanic creature grew even stronger as it slashed through the set creature. (8700/1500) "End turn."

"Not quite yet, Wraith!" Krieger motioned to his face-down card. "Reverse card open! Flames of Balance! This will activate when a fire attribute monster on my field is destroyed as a result of battle. I may then destroy any number of cards on your field equal to the number of fire monsters in my graveyard divided by two! Since I now have eight…your entire field is gone!" A wall of fire leapt up and destroyed all of Wraith's set cards and his Axe Murderer. "You're wide open now!"

"Are you…so sure?" The corpse discarded three cards from its hand. "I activate the special ability of Enduring Nightmare (1600/1700) which allows me to discard it to bring back my Axe Murderer when it is destroyed. That isn't all though, because I can discard any number of cards in my hand to add 3000 attack points to it." The earth in front of him churned and shot up into the air as his killer returned to the field, stronger than ever. (14700/1500)

Krieger stared in pure horror at the Axe Murderer. "14700 attack points…" Breathlessly, he could barely comprehend how killing Wraith's monster could have made it so much stronger.

"Don't you ever watch horror movies?" Wraith's question was so out of place that Krieger couldn't even comprehend what the question was. "Fool…the monster of the movie cannot truly be killed. He will come back over and over again, stronger than ever. It's a shame you didn't realize that until it is too late." The corpse's wheezing voice seemed a bit stronger, as if the energy his monster was gaining also charged him up as well. "So… what will you do?"

Despite the encouraging screeches of Horus in his mind, Krieger felt despair pulling at his soul. ("That thing can't be killed…")

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The black-cloaked form ran its bony fingers over the tiny cracks in the seal, patching them up as it went along. _("Soon…very soon…the seal will be repaired, and then the power it holds will be trapped for all eternity.")_

From right upstairs, the sound of crashing and then loud cursing echoed down to the cloaked thing. _("So they were not stopped? Oh well…it's too late to stop…")_

The door opened, and Ichigo blinked at the black-cloaked form at the other end of the basement. "Who in the…" A hand gripped her shoulder and spun her around to meet a pair of jade eyes.

"Excuse me…but I think you should apologize for hitting me." Hitokage's voice didn't sound like it was going to brook any excuses. He would not let some Osiris Red drop-out strike him and get away without at least that much.

Ichigo tilted her head and thought about it…then responded by turning and stomping down the stairs angrily. ("He wants me to apologize!? I'm not apologizing to anybody who calls me a girl!") Snarling, she had almost completely forgotten about black-cloaked figure until she reached the bottom of the stairs. "Oh yeah…I almost forgot about you. Who are you?"

The figure watched all but one single nearly hairline fracture disappear from the surface of the stone symbol. _("Just a few more seconds…")_ It was so consumed in its work that it wasn't even really paying attention to Ichigo.

("Hmmm…guy in a black cloak hunched over something. Chances are one to ten that he is evil.") Ichigo nodded and with the ease that only someone with demon strength could do, picked up a nearby old table and threw it across the room.

_("Just a…")_ The figure's thoughts were cut off as the table slammed into its back. Its bony finger, which was positioned to control the repairs on the seal, flew forward and pierced right into the stone, creating a spider-web of cracks that quickly spread. _("NO!")_ Hurling the table aside, the black-cloaked figure spun around to confront the three children who dared to get in the way. _("HOW DARE YOU!")_

Hitokage glared at Ichigo. "Do you always hurl tables at random people inside houses?"

"Only if they remind me of you," the half-demon replied.

"Um guys…I think you made the creepy guy in the black cloak mad." Griff slid behind Hitokage casually. ("Better him than me.")

_("I will kill you!!!")_ The dark figure leapt forward, ready to kill them all. Then the seal exploded open and a rush of fire slammed into its backside. The energy released from the seal incinerated it instantly and then pillared upwards, blasting through floor after floor until it found air.

Ichigo stared at the now blackened basement. "What just happened?"

"Umm….." Griff scratched the back of his head. "I'd love to answer that one for you…but I have no idea."

Hitokage frowned, feeling his muscles cord for a moment as energy surged through him. ("Whatever just did that was powerful…very powerful.")

"Hey, we'd better go and check on Krieger." Griff whispered to Ichigo. Nodding they turned and ran back up the stairs.

Hitokage didn't follow…because he was too busy listening to the strange voice that whispered things to him. ("It's louder now…but why?")

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"This is…the end for you." Wraith spat out a glob of something slimy and green. "The darkness will consume you and I will be reborn into the world."

"I won't let you…" Krieger came back to his feet, blood still staining his shirt where the blow had been struck. It was going to leave a scar, but that was the least of his worries. "The world…doesn't need you! It doesn't want you either! I'll send you back into the hole you crawled out of!!!" The half cat-demon's normally ice-blue eyes shimmered crimson in the night. Growls came from low in his throat, and he seemed more likely to attack Wraith than draw his next card.

"Krieger!" Ichigo slid to a stop, seeing how her roommate's shoulders were bunched up, and how tense he looked from behind. ("He's losing it…") "Yo Krieger, control yourself!"

The only reply she got was a snarl…

Wraith coughed out another clod of dirt. ("I have won…When his mind snaps and he loses control to his anger, the darkness game will instantly declare me the victor. I will live once more!")

"Damn…he's gone crazy again, hasn't he!?" Griff wasn't sure what they could do now…because so far things didn't seem to be looking well. He could tell that the duel was definitely not in his friend's favor, and because it was a darkness game there was nothing he could do about it. "Hang on, Krieger. Find something to latch onto…don't lose it!"

The half cat-demon growled louder, and the darkness started to flow around his legs.

"This duel…is mine." Wraith felt the beginnings of what could have been joy within his black soul.

An echoing screech shook the ground, and high above them was a giant arc of fire.

"It's the energy from that thing in the basement!" Ichigo took a couple of steps backwards and tugged Griff back as well.

Howling, the flaming arc slammed down on top of Krieger.

"Krieger!!!" Both Ichigo and Griff were already moving towards their friend, but both were stopped cold by someone grabbing their arms.

"Are you insane!?" Hitokage snapped his legs out and sent both of them sprawling to the dirt. "Do you want to get barbecued!?"

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_("My master…I wish to help you.")_ A calm voice whispered within Krieger's mind. _("You and I…we are bonded in spirit. Partner…")_

("Partner…") Krieger's mind barely registered the flames now. All he sensed was that single comforting prescense in his thoughts. ("Who are you? How do you know me?")

_("I have been with you since you were but a child…and I have been offered the chance to truly give you the strength needed to win.")_

("But…what if I don't want the power you're offering?") Krieger's eyes were slowly fading back to ice-blue. ("I couldn't care less about power. What would I use it for?")

_("To stop creatures like him from pulling your world into hell.")_

Through the flames, Krieger looked out at Wraith. ("Tell me what I have to do…")

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The fire died down to nothing but glowing embers, leaving a completely unharmed Krieger in its wake. "Wraith. I will not tolerate this! Draw!" Without glancing at the drawn card, he slid two cards into his disk and slapped the final one onto it. "I summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 0 (1000/1000) in attack mode!" A little metallic dragon about the size of a chicken appeared on the field. "End turn!"

"Attack mode!?" Griff bit his lower lip. "He must be joking!"

("Krieger…what do you have planned?") Ichigo knew there was more to this than what it appeared.

Hitokage stood silently behind them, eyes narrowed appraisingly. ("Reinhardt…prove your worth as a member of this school right now. Don't you dare back down even one inch.")

Wraith drew. "I set…one card face-down. Then I play the continuous magic card Hellish Song of the Underworld." All around them a cacophony of noise exploded into existence, sending Ichigo and Krieger (With their acute demon hearing) to their knees in pain. "As long as this magic card is in play, all demons on my field gain 1000 attack points." The Axe Murderer lifted its already titanic weapon upwards, absorbing the dark sounds and becoming stronger. (15700/1500) "Now…die." Rumbling out a torrent of evil laughter, the masked killer monster charged across the field to cut down Horus and wipe out Krieger's life points.

("It…hurts!") Krieger's vision had started to double, and he felt light-headed from the sheer strength of the noise around him.

_("Let me guide you…my partner.")_ Horus tilted its head back to Krieger and gave off a high-pitched whistle that cut through the din.

"I trust you, partner! Reverse cards…open!" Both of Krieger's face-down cards flipped up at once, and the screaming of the Song of the Underworld card stopped. It had been drowned out by the roaring inferno that Horus had disappeared into. "My first card is the trap Flames of Radiance, which allows me to remove fire attribute monsters from my graveyard to raise Horus' level one per monster. So I remove eight of them!"

The Axe Murderer had slid to a stop and was staring in confusion at the rolling inferno. That confusion turned to awe as a single form that was bigger than a 747 airliner exploded from the top of the flame cloud. One single prolonged screech filled the air around everyone as Horus spread its wings and broke into a hover, fire burning along its body. From within its open beak black fire rolled out and down its body, making it a truly hellish and magnificent sight.

Krieger felt his strength return, and with it his determination. "Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 8!" (4500/4500)

"That's it?" Wraith didn't sound very impressed. "Axe Murderer will kill it easily."

"No…he won't. My Partner and I will stop your monster right now. Or did you not hear me when I said 'reverse _cards_ open"?" The flames died away enough to reveal the other face-up card. It was a magic card, and the face was that of a single phoenix-like shape taking flight. "I quickplay the magic card Wings of Inferno! This magic card will transform Horus into his ultimate form!"

Roaring loudly, Horus launched out into the night. Seconds later an incredibly bright golden light filled the entire island.

"It's so bright…" Griff was almost sure it was day already, if it hadn't of been for the fact that he knew it was eleven o'clock.

"What!?" Ichigo still couldn't hear anything.

Hitokage smiled slightly. ("Impressive…but will it be enough?")

The light concentrated into one point in the sky, and then came down as a pillar of golden fire. From within that pillar a single giant shape lowered to the ground, and roared with such intensity that the surrounding stone of the graveyard walls cracked.

Golden fire lapped around Krieger's form, and from within it he smiled slightly. "Horus the Divine Flame Dragon!" (13200/13200) The light died down, revealing a towering gold-plated version of Horus. Its wingspan had been nearly doubled, and golden fire licked across its body. "When I use Wings of Inferno, Horus had his attack points tripled. Also, his special ability allows him to destroy one face-up monster on the field as well! Horus the Divine Flame Dragon, Rain of Annihilation!" Screeching loud enough to shatter all glass within a mile of it, the dragon launched up into the sky and disappeared within the cloud cover. "This is your end, Wraith. Now go back to hell!"

The clouds were blown apart by a single pillar of golden light slammed down on Wraith's field. Within seconds the corpse no longer had his monster in play, and now he was wide open for a direct attack. "No…this cannot…"

Krieger was in no mood to listen. "Horus…Phoenix Cannon!" The pillar shrank inwards until it simply surrounded Wraith, and then the light became a temperature somewhat like the suns. Suffice to say, Wraith was instantly blown to ash.

Krieger- 3700

Wraith- 0

Hitokage shivered a couple of times at the sheer power that now coursed through his muscles. ("Very strong…very strong indeed. This beast of his is indeed impressive.")

Griff was too speechless to do much more than gape up at the sky. He suddenly felt very religious…that was for sure.

Ichigo looked up at the sky as well, but for a different reason. ("So…what's the deal Luna? Am I going to ever get explanations for all of this?")

Krieger was the only person who was looking down. ("Thank you Horus…")

_("You're welcome, partner.")_ Whispered the voice of the dragon, who had returned to its child stage in tone. _("You and I are now bonded…and I will always be here to help you when you need me.")_

Shuffling his favorite card back into his deck, Krieger glanced back at the three. "Hey, it's getting late. Let's head back."

Ichigo nodded and grabbed Griff by the coat, dragging the still-gaping boy towards the entrance of the mansion and towards home.

"Pilkington," Hitokage took a step forward, while Ichigo froze up.

"Who are you talking to?" The half-demon felt like running now…

"Don't insult my intelligence. You hang out with these two, and from the way you got so angry when I called you a girl…I put two and two together," the upperclassman crossed his arms and smirked slightly. "You've caught my true interest. Meet me at the front of the Obelisk Blue dorm tommorow during lunch. I wish to see just how powerful you really are."

As bad as things seemed for her, Ichigo could always count on one thing to cheer herself up with. And that was the prospect of a good duel. "Alright…you've got yourself a deal. I'll see you then?"

"Agreed. And please come as a male, if that is alright with you?" Hitokage smiled slightly, and walked past the three Osiris Red students. "I'd feel bad for beating up on a girl, and no, Eri doesn't count." With that said, he walked away without looking back.

"Are you going to accept?" Krieger asked.

Ichigo was already going over her new deck strategy the very second Hitokage had made the challenge. "Trust me…as Griff once said, 'I'm going to mark another Obelisk Blue on my belt'."

_To be continued…_

Author's Notes: Yep…two seals open.

To Adriel: …………………….Mr. Coconut!!! ::Chimpanzee attacks::

To Bobbomp: I have no idea why you are talking like that.

To Anime Albino: Don't worry…Wraith just got flash-fried by a god.

To Dais: Another question answered…thanks to me!

To falcon demon general: Eh…Rikuo could still defeat Alros in a one on one.

To gohan11: In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

To Hogwarts Knight: Rikuo has the Howling Sword because it is technically his to wield. Daniel may be the Wolf Demon Lord, but that doesn't mean he needs the sword.

To Seeker of the Soul: True Duelist…it is the power that all call upon when things get rough. Of course, he was also just flat out pissed. He could have won without having to do all that, but he wanted to get the message across to Clarice.

To GryphinWyrm7: Bleh….still gotta do the crazy finals tommorow. Then I'm done though…so all is well.

To Grisham: Ichigo and Daniel had an agreement that they wouldn't get involved in each other's business unless it was necessary. And no, because all of said demons sound icky.


	21. Cyber Shadow vs Soul Shadow

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 21: Cyber Shadow vs. Soul Shadow

"_Pilkington," Hitokage took a step forward, while Ichigo froze up._

"_Who are you talking to?" The half-demon felt like running now…_

"_Don't insult my intelligence. You hang out with these two, and from the way you got so angry when I called you a girl…I put two and two together," the upperclassman crossed his arms and smirked slightly. "You've caught my true interest. Meet me at the front of the Obelisk Blue dorm tommorow during lunch. I wish to see just how powerful you really are."_

_As bad as things seemed for her, Ichigo could always count on one thing to cheer herself up with. And that was the prospect of a good duel. "Alright…you've got yourself a deal. I'll see you then?"_

"_Agreed. And please come as a male, if that is alright with you?" Hitokage smiled slightly, and walked past the three Osiris Red students. "I'd feel bad for beating up on a girl, and no, Eri doesn't count." With that said, he walked away without looking back._

"_Are you going to accept?" Krieger asked._

_Ichigo was already going over her new deck strategy the very second Hitokage had made the challenge. "Trust me…as Griff once said, 'I'm going to mark another Obelisk Blue on my belt'."_

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"Sir, are you sure that you want me to drop you off on the island unannounced? From what I've heard Kaiba Corporation has given this place top notch security. If you get caught trespassing without a reason for being on the campus…"

"I'll pass thank you…" Rikuo glanced back at the fisherman. "I promised my wife I'd go check on my little girl, and that's exactly what I am going to do."

The grizzled old man scratched at his beard in confusion. "If she's a student here…then why are you sneaking in?"

Rikuo's answer left little room for argument. "Because I'm bored."

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"Ichigo…you might want to get up. Class is in…oh…ten minutes." Griff glanced at his watch and then shouldered his backpack. "Come on Krieger, he'll get up when he gets up, I guess. I suppose he forgot all about his duel too…such a shame."

The half-demon was up in an instant. "OH CRAP!" For a few seconds he was a blur in the room, and then the bathroom door slammed shut.

Krieger stifled his laughter. "Shouldn't you have told him that he actually has an hour?"

"Naw…I like watching when he's hurried." Griff smirked and fell back into his swivel chair. "Now listen closely."

A few seconds later there was a loud crash from inside the bathroom. "Stupid soap!!!"

Now both boys were having trouble controlling their laughter.

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Hitokage Seijitsu took a deep breath and felt the air around him pulse with life. ("A good morning…and an ever better one for a battle.") His thoughts ran back on last evening, and his interesting time meeting the person he had decided would be best called 'Ichi-chan'. ("I must admit…those three are definitely strange. Pilkington definitely takes the cake though…")

_Ichigo was smiling from ear to ear. "This is the true pinnacle of my deck, the power of the ultimate Cyber Shadow agent! Special Operative-Snake!" (2000/1800) The espionage monster opened it eyes and looked back at Ichigo, who nodded to it. "Snake, attack Enraged Muka Muka now!" Bending at the knees, Snake charged across the field towards the crab monster fearlessly._

_Midas threw back his head, roaring laughter echoing across the arena. "So you're sending your favorite creature to an early demise!? That's fine with me! Enraged Muka Muka, counter-attack!" The crab monster lifted its pincers to chop through the charging Special Operative…._

_A huge explosion rang out from the side of the ring, causing everyone to spin their eyes to the corner of the arena where the explosion had gone off. All that was there was a cloud of smoke…_

"_Hey, Professor Midas!" yelled Ichigo._

_The golden-clothed professor spun back to his field and gaped at the sight in front of him. His Enraged Muka Muka was looking at the spot where the explosion had gone off, and that meant its attention was completely taken away from the monster that was charging towards it. "Turn around, you stupid creature!"_

"_It's too late, because the special ability of my Special Operative-Snake has just been activated." Taking a card from his hand, Ichigo slid it into his graveyard slot. "By discarding one card from my hand and sacrificing my battle phase, I may use Snake's Sneak Attack effect. This will allow him to destroy one monster on the field with an original attack lower than his, and deal damage to its owner equal to that original attack total."_

_A silence hung over the arena as the black-suited mercenary slid to a stop right underneath the huge body of the Enraged Muka Muka and threw something onto its underbelly. Spinning around, the monster returned to Ichigo's field._

_Everyone in the stands stared down at the field, and at the Enraged Muka Muka, which continued to stare at the cloud of smoke in the corner of the field._

_Midas paled considerably as he realized what this meant. "This is impossible…you're…."_

_Ichigo nodded to Snake. The mercenary pulled a black device out from a pouch at its waist and held it out for everyone to see. It was a detonator, and his thumb was on the little red button that would trigger the explosive he had attached to the underbelly of the Enraged Muka Muka. "Sorry, but you just lost!" Snake pressed the detonator button. In one screeching flash of light and smoke, Midas' monster was gone along with the rest of his life points._

_Ichigo- 3200_

_Midas- 0_

("He defeated one of the instructors…and…") Hitokage had seen many things that could be considered strange, but for someone like Ichigo to just come along and blow away Professor King. ("Highly unlikely. The fact that he defeated Adriel was interesting too. Now though, he's going to have to face me.") And unlike previous challenges, this time Ichigo Pilkington wasn't going to find a way to Topdeck himself into victory.

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Rikuo tugged on his leather jacket, smirking at the fact that he looked like a biker punk. ("Eh…probably because I am.") Nodding back to the fisherman, his ears already picked up the noise of approaching guards. ("They want me…they're going to have to catch me!") Grinning at the fun of a good chase, Rikuo was towards the inner section of the island long before the guards reached where he had arrived from.

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It was lunchtime and despite some warnings about an intruder somewhere on the island, everyone was too excited to have that bad of a day. After all, it wasn't every day that for entertainment you'd get to watch one of the top five duelists in the school go against the already infamous 'Obelisk Blue'.

And considering the size of the crowd, Ichigo was more than a little nervous. "Jeez…it looks like the whole school is here."

All around them were people setting up their picnic blankets and getting ready to watch the 'show'.

"Actually, I think the whole school really is here." Griff whistled and patted Ichigo on the shoulder. "If your life points go to zero this time…" He shrugged, letting Ichigo know that he was on his own if that happened.

"Horus and I believe you can do it," Krieger smiled confidently. "After all, you're the best, right?"

Ichigo blinked at the 'Horus and I' part of his roommate's sentence, but he did nod. "Yeah…I am, aren't I?" Grinning, the half demon stepped past them and into the front yard of the Obelisk Blue dorm. "Glad to see you didn't chicken out, Hitokage."

"That's Master Seijitsu to you, cur!" yelled one of Hitokage's two attendants, who were standing next to their boss just to show that they supported him.

"Roy…shut up and move," The blond-haired Japanese duelist stepped past his lackey and turned on his duel disk. "Let's get this game started, shall we Ichi-chan?"

("Again with the Ichi-chan!") Growling, the half demon turned his duel disk on. "Watch it, jerk!"

Hitokage coldly turned on his duel disk. "I'm going to unveil the truth behind that magic card of yours right now."

Ichigo turned pure white. "Wha…?"

"You heard me. I have a feeling that card isn't what you say it is." Hitokage drew his five cards. "Now then…you may go first, if you wish."

Ichigo- 4000

Hitokage- 4000

"I think I just might!" Ichigo drew. "Here we go! First I play Tiny Pound Hammer! This magic card lets me shuffle any number of cards in my hand and itself into my deck, and then draw an equal number of replacements!" Snatching two extra cards from his hand, the half demon shuffled them into his deck and then drew three cards.

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"Alright, that might just give him the advantage he needs to get a lead in this battle!" Griff grinned at the thought of Ichigo defeating one of the top five duelists in this school. ("He'll go from infamous to legendary!") "Go Ichigo!"

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Throwing a thumbs-up to his friend, the half demon slid another card into his duel disk. "Then I play Graceful Charity, letting me draw three cards and then I must discard two!" Another three cards was slid off of his deck and then he discarded two cards. "I set one monster and end my turn!"

"All that drawing and you don't even set a magic or trap card? Very well…I'll make you regret that in just a moment. Draw!" Hitokage snapped a card off of his deck and added it to his hand. One look over his hand and he frowned. ("Horrible…but not without possibilities.") "I set three cards face-down and end my turn."

Ichigo snickered, "You're a hypocrite. At least I played a monster on my turn. Draw!" He slid a card off of his deck, glanced at it, and smirked. ("Good…things are already going my way.") "Now it's time to bring out my anti-defender! When I'm done you won't be able to hide anything from me!"

Hitokage narrowed his eyes at this declaration. ("What does he have planned?")

Ichigo discarded two cards into his graveyard and then flipped over one of the cards in his hand. "I play Polymerization to fuse Cyber Shadow-Sentinel (1500/1300) and Cyber Shadow-Trainer (300/1200) together to create Cyber Shadow-Scanner (1850/1500) in attack mode!" There was a bright flash of light and a strange bipedal robot with a satellite dish on its head appeared on the field. "When he hits the field, all of your face-down cards are revealed. All effect monsters and traps revealed through this effect are destroyed!"

"Amateur move…and for that you must pay!" One of Hitokage's face-down cards flipped up. "I activate Hexblaster, which allows me to discard one card from my hand to negate any effect and destroy the card trying to use it!" The Obelisk Blue duelist discarded a card and a black swirl of smoke flew out of his trap, blowing Ichigo's monster apart.

("Alright then…that was a waste.") Wiping a drop of sweat off his cheek, Ichigo slid a card into his disk. "Then I'm just going to set one card face-down. End turn!"

"Draw." Hitokage slid a card off of his disk and snapped it up to his eyes. After a quick glance, he added it to his hand and slid a card into his disk. "I set one card face-down and end my turn!"

"My turn…draw!" Ichigo drew, his ears listening to the murmurs around them. Apparently they weren't giving that impressive of a performance. ("I'll show them impressive.") "I summon Cyber Shadow-Psychic (1500/1200) in attack mode!" A woman in a black body-suit appeared on his field. "Attack his life points directly!"

Hitokage frowned disgustedly. "How did you beat Eri anyway? Reverse card open! I activate the trap card A Villain Emerges!"

"A Villain Emerges!?" Ichigo knew what A Hero Emerges did, but he never knew that one of his trap cards had a counter-part.

"Select one card in my hand and it will be summoned to the field. So…take your pick." Fanning out his cards, the Obelisk Blue duelist was emotionless now.

"I choose….the left one!" Ichigo wiped another drop of sweat from his cheek. ("He's so focused…so I'll just have to prove that I'm better than he is.")

There was an explosion of black smoke and a crimson-cloaked undead wizard appeared on Hitokage's field. "And so you summon Soul Master in defense mode!" (2600/2900)

A frustrated groan escaped Ichigo's lips. ("Damn that thing is huge!") "End turn then."

"Very well Pilkington…but at the moment I don't see how you got as far as you did. I drew a horrible hand and still you can't even touch me." Drawing, Hitokage narrowed his jade eyes just a little more. "Well now I'm ready to fight for real. Activate continuous magic card, Soul Reaver!"

Ichigo gasped as his Psychic exploded into digital dust. "What the…"

"Allow me to explain! By discarding one card from my hand, Soul Reaver will destroy one monster on your field. That isn't all though, because then I will gain life points equal to that destroyed monster's attack points each of my stand-by phases." Hitokage's expression was icy cold. "But then again…that won't matter. Soul Master, activate your special ability now!"

The Soul Reaver card exploded and was replaced by a floating glob of white Ectoplasm. "Once per turn, I may sacrifice one Soul Reaver on the field to my Soul Master. When I do, I double the number of life points that I would gain each turn and deal you that many life points of damage." The blob launched across the field and slammed into Ichigo so hard it nearly threw the half demon into the crowd. "End turn, Ichi-chan."

Ichigo- 1000

Hitokage- 4000

When Ichigo came to his feet, his hair was already starting to lighten. Also, his hazel eyes were turning a strange warped version of deep blue. "I'm nowhere near done! Draw!"

"I'd hope not…since that was only one move." Hitokage didn't sound smug…just focused.

Ichigo knew that he didn't have much time. If another of those Soul Reavers hit the field, he'd be finished. "I play Tiny Pound Hammer again, shuffling my hand into my deck and drawing three cards!" Seconds later he had a new three cards…and one of them was glowing. ("Crap!")

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"Hey Griff…is Ichigo getting shorter, or are my eyes playing tricks on me?" Krieger looked completely confused, because to his eyes he could have sworn that Ichigo was a couple of inches shorter.

"Nope…I see it to. He must have drawn Blessings of Luna. If this keeps up, no one will believe that hologram excuse. Even holograms don't slowly warp people like that. Ichigo….hurry up and get rid of that thing." The Egyptian boy could already hear the confused murmurs from the rest of the crowd.

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("Argh…") "I set one card face-down and end my turn!" A small zap of electricity hit his hand. "OW! What the heck!?" Glancing at Blessings of Luna, he saw why. ("I can't set this thing!? It's just gonna sit in my hand and slowly turn me into a girl in front of the whole campus? Damn…") "End turn then…since I can't set this."

"Hmm….what's the matter Ichi-chan? You seem like you want to get rid of that card you're holding fairly badly." Hitokage drew. "Such a shame you can't do anything about it. Oh well…I guess we're going to see the truth very soon, eh Ichi-chan? End turn."

Ichigo knew that he spoke the truth. ("I'm screwed if I don't get this thing on the field or toss it out. Either way…I need it gone now!") "End turn."

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"Wow…he's screwed," said someone from right behind Griff. Looking back, the Egyptian boy rubbed his eyes a couple of times. "Professor Pilkington?"

Rikuo blinked a couple of times. "Pilkington? What about him?" The wolf demon had taken a crouching position behind the two boys, watching the duel and apparently hiding from the guards at the same time.

"You mean…you're not him?" Krieger found that very hard to believe. This guy looked exactly like Daniel, except a couple of inches and a whole lot scarier. "Then who are you?"

"I'm Rikuo Amero. And who are you, kitty?" Rikuo snickered slightly.

Krieger frowned and his ears flicked a couple of times in irritation. Why did everyone have to make fun of the whole cat demon thing? "You're awfully mature, insulting kids younger than you are."

"Hey…toughen up and maybe I'll treat you like an adult," Rikuo looked over at Ichigo. "Now who is that…and why do they smell like the most feminine male wolf demon ever?" Tilting his head back, Rikuo took another whiff of the air and his ears perked up. "Interesting…smells like Daniel too…" Though the ex-general wasn't the smartest demon in the world, he wasn't stupid either. "So that's Ichigo when he's all grown up? Weird…I wouldn't expect him to turn into such a pretty boy."

Griff and Krieger both just stared at Rikuo. ("What's with this guy?")

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"You're wasting my precious time, Pilkington. Draw!" Hitokage snapped the top card off of his deck and slid it into his disk. "I set one card face-down. End turn."

("He's still getting bad draws…so maybe I have a chance.") "Draw!" Ichigo drew, trying to ignore the fact that either everyone was getting taller or he was getting shorter. ("Why are you doing this to me!?") "End…turn."

"Once again…you're a waste of time." Hitokage drew. "I set one card face-down and end my turn." The jade-eyes duelist seemed unaffected by the fact he had yet to draw a monster. ("I trust my deck and my cards…unlike you apparently do. Why else would you fear that magic card?")

"Draw!" Ichigo glanced at the card and smiled slightly. ("Finally…") "I play Warrior Returning Alive, which allows me to pick up Cyber Shadow-Trainer and place it into my hand. End turn."

("So he believes he will fuse a new monster?") "Draw." Hitokage drew and slid a card into his disk. "Once more, I set a card face-down. Then I set one monster. End turn."

Ichigo drew, shivering from a sudden twinge in his spine. ("Damn it…this thing isn't even waiting for my life points.") At this point, the half-demon was about 5'2", with a mop of gold hair on top of his head and a pair of deep blue eyes. More or less, he looked like the male version of his female self. ("Argh…damn you Luna!") Glancing at his seven card hand, Ichigo couldn't think of any combo worth playing. ("He's just going to counter it. And if I summon…wait!") "I set one card face-down, end turn."

"And so our boring little duel comes back to me. Draw!" Hitokage looked at the card and snapped it around so that the crowd could see it. "Pot of Greed lets me draw two cards!" One look at the two cards and he knew exactly what to do. "You're about to meet my rarest monster…be grateful I let you live long enough to see its power. I sacrifice my face-down Sangan (1000/600) and Soul Master to summon Soul Reaver Dragon!" (3500/0) The two monsters disappeared and were replaced by a phantasmal dragon that towered over even the Obelisk Blue dorm itself.

"This is the ultimate monster! For with its special abilities, I will crush you. First though, Sangan's special ability let me search my deck for one monster with 1500 or less attack and put it into my hand." A few seconds passed while he searched for the card he wanted, and then he re-inserted his deck into his disk. "Now you will be destroyed! Soul Reaver Dragon may once per turn remove one monster on the field from play! Secondly, he cannot attack no matter what the situation! And thirdly…he removes a monster from my graveyard per turn and deals you life point damage equal to its attack!"

"What!?" Ichigo knew he was screwed…. ("But still…I've gotta give it my all!")

"Here we go Pilkington…prepare for the end! Soul Reaver Dragon…Hellfire Burst!" Snarling, the dragon sprayed out crystalline flame that completely removed Ichigo's monster. "Then I remove Soul Master from the graveyard to deal you 1450 life points of damage. It's been fun, but now this ends!"

Glancing down at the Blessings of Luna, Ichigo smiled slightly. "We'll see about that." His words weren't heard over the sudden wave of crystalline flame that consumed him.

Ichigo- 0

Hitokage- 4000

Hitokage ignored the cheers from the audience. ("Now let round two begin.")

As the angel wings of Blessings of Luna exploded into existence, Ichigo couldn't have agreed more. ("Let round two begin.")

Ichigo- 700

Hitokage- 4000

_To be continued…_

Author's notes: No response for now, because I'm cookin with gasoline.


	22. The third seal awakened

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 22: The third seal awakened; Rikuo's duel

"_And so our boring little duel comes back to me. Draw!" Hitokage looked at the card and snapped it around so that the crowd could see it. "Pot of Greed lets me draw two cards!" One look at the two cards and he knew exactly what to do. "You're about to meet my rarest monster…be grateful I let you live long enough to see its power. I sacrifice my face-down Sangan (1000/600) and Soul Master to summon Soul Reaver Dragon!" (3500/0) The two monsters disappeared and were replaced by a phantasmal dragon that towered over even the Obelisk Blue dorm itself. _

"_This is the ultimate monster! For with its special abilities, I will crush you. First though, Sangan's special ability let me search my deck for one monster with 1500 or less attack and put it into my hand." A few seconds passed while he searched for the card he wanted, and then he re-inserted his deck into his disk. "Now you will be destroyed! Soul Reaver Dragon may once per turn remove one monster on the field from play! Secondly, he cannot attack no matter what the situation! And thirdly…he removes a monster from my graveyard per turn and deals you life point damage equal to its attack!"_

"_What!?" Ichigo knew he was screwed…. ("But still…I've gotta give it my all!")_

"_Here we go Pilkington…prepare for the end! Soul Reaver Dragon…Hellfire Burst!" Snarling, the dragon sprayed out crystalline flame that completely removed Ichigo's monster. "Then I remove Soul Master from the graveyard to deal you 1450 life points of damage. It's been fun, but now this ends!"_

_Glancing down at the Blessings of Luna, Ichigo smiled slightly. "We'll see about that." His words weren't heard over the sudden wave of crystalline flame that consumed him._

_Ichigo- 0_

_Hitokage- 4000_

_Hitokage ignored the cheers from the audience. ("Now let round two begin.")_

_As the angel wings of Blessings of Luna exploded into existence, Ichigo couldn't have agreed more. ("Let round two begin.")_

_Ichigo- 700_

_Hitokage- 4000_

Everyone's cheering had stopped, and now there were just gasps of both awe and confusion.

Hitokage wasn't listening to every outside of the battle. ("Come on out, Ichi-chan. Let's see if you're any better than your male half.") "End turn, for now."

The light and wings from Blessings of Luna died away, revealing Ichigo. She already was ready to listen to the hundred or so gasps of surprise that came from the crowd. Especially from some of the female members of the group.

Hitokage smirked calmly and crossed his arms across his chest. "So, are you going to explain to everyone why you are suddenly a girl, or should we just draw our own conclusions from this strange turn of events?"

Ichigo spoke slowly, matching eyes with Hitokage. "Blessings of Luna activates when my life points reach zero. They increase my life points by 100 per monster card in both of our graveyards each turn, and also when it activates. Also, the effect of the card creates a hologram around the user that makes them appear in the likeness of the moon goddess Luna." Each word was so matter-of-factly that everyone was about to accept it for fact.

"That's utter bullshit!" Rikuo, regardless of the fact that there was a duel going on, stomped up to Ichigo and spun her around to come face to face with him.

"Gah!" Ichigo blinked as she was staring what looked like an evil version of her father. "D…d…dad!? What happened to your eyes!?"

"I got contacts," dead-panned Rikuo. "I'm not your father!" His voice lowered to a whisper, "Now how long have you been cross-dressing behind your father's back, because I know he wouldn't allow any member of his blood-line to do something so damn weird."

"Cross-dressing!?" Ichigo turned bright red in the face. "What are you babbling about!? It's a card effect!"

Rikuo growled angrily and then looked over at Hitokage. "Excuse me a second!" He pulled Ichigo close to him and started whispering into her ear. "I'm going to go speak to your father, and by the way…don't lie to your uncle Rikuo. A hologram can fool the eyes, but it certainly cannot fool my nose." With that said, Rikuo broke into a run as the guards who were looking for him noticed him. "I shall return!" Then he was gone.

Ichigo just stared the retreating form of the crazy demon that looked like his father. "Does anyone know who that was?"

Everybody shrugged.

Hitokage sighed and crossed his arms across his chest. "Are we going to get this duel on the way, or should we just say that I have won, Ichi-chan?"

"Don't call me that! It's a hologram from the card effect!" Ichigo drew. "And I'm not even close to out yet! Blessings of Luna raise my life points by 100 per monster in the graveyard!" A golden light surrounded her body.

Ichigo- 1400

Hitokage- 4000

"And then I play my Tiny Pound Hammer once more, shuffling my entire hand into my deck!" With incredible speed she had a new hand. ("I'm not letting you make a fool of me, Hitokage!")

"Give it up, Pilkington. I've won already and you know it. Or have you forgotten how many cards I have face-down?" He motioned to all of his set cards. "Do you think I'd bluff all five times?"

"I will not surrender and I will not fall to you, Seijitsu! I'm not in the mood to play games, so let's heat things up! I play Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two cards!" She slid two cards off of her deck and looked at them. "Now I'm ready to unleash my ultimate strategy!" By the look of determination on her face, she meant it too.

"Ultimate Strategy? What possible ultimate strategy could you possibly have that would be a threat to my five trap cards?" Hitokage seemed less than worried.

"Well then let me defeat your five trap cards! First, I'll replay Tiny Pound Hammer, shuffling it and four cards into my deck!" Shuffling up her deck, Ichigo drew four new cards without looking at them. ("Please be what I'm hoping you are.") One look later she was smiling her head off. "I've won."

Hitokage raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh? Then by all means do so."

"As you wish," she slapped a card onto her disk. "Then first I summon the monster that will be your downfall! Come out, Luna's Handmaiden!" (500/500) A little girl in a silver night-dress appeared on her field. "Ready?"

"I've heard of that monster before…and it has no effect at all. Why would you play such a piece of trash?" Hitokage was more amused now than scared.

"Allow me to explain with this, Polymerization!" A swirl of silver energy appeared on the field. "Now I'll fuse Luna's Handmaiden with Blessings of Luna!"

"What!?" It had been a long time since Hitokage Seijitsu had ever expressed surprise, but he felt that he had good reason to be. "How…can you fuse a magic card and a monster card!?"

Luna's handmaiden disappeared within the swirl of silver light. When the swirl faded a woman in a silver bodice with huge angel wings jutting out of her back appeared on the field.

Ichigo smirked and bowed her head slightly. "Luna-Goddess of the Moon!" (1000/1000)

Hitokage, as well as the rest of the audience, couldn't stop blinking in surprise. How could a monster with 1000 attack points affect the outcome of this duel?

"I'm sure you are confused…so let me clear it up for you with this!" Ichigo slid her entire hand into the graveyard. "It's time to bring this duel to a close, so I activate Luna's special ability. By discarding my entire hand, I can wipe out the whole field and everything on it! Also, we must both discard our hands."

Silver light shimmered over Hitokage's body. "You cannot activate any traps in response to Luna's magic, but you do get to draw two cards after her effect resolves, as well as gain 100 life points for every card in both of our collective graveyards. Use that gift well." Luna opened her mouth and the sweetest voice ever imagined sang out some kind of timeless tune. "Luna…Song of Tranquility!" The goddess' song rose in volume, until everything around them started to shake. And then finally Luna's power reached its max.

The explosion was one to put both Destruction Dragon Gondola and Steel Titan-Rex to shame…

Ichigo- 1400

Hitokage- 7500

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Rikuo sighed and looked around. ("So…where am I again?") When he'd lose those guards back there, he had been pretty sure that the girl's Obelisk Blue dorm had been somewhere nearby. Now he wasn't quite so sure though…

("Let's see…what landmarks are nearby me? I see a tree…and a tree…tree…tree…tree…tree…scary-looking black-cloaked guy…tree…wait a second.") Rikuo walked up a guy in a black cloak that was hunched over something. "Hey…do you know where the Obelisk Blue girls' dorm is?"

The figure didn't respond. It kept its back to him, and seemed to be working intently on something in a nearby boulder.

"HEY! I'm talking to you, jerk!" Rikuo growled and grabbed the thing's shoulder, only to get his hand knocked away.

_("Be gone, foolish mortal. I am busy.")_ The figure returned to its work.

("Foolish…mortal?") Rikuo flexed his claws, which were now surrounded bye a light blue glow. "You just stand there and hold still….foolish mortal indeed…"

_("This seal shall never…")_ Whatever the figure had planned on saying was cut off as it was consumed in an explosion of blue flames.

Rikuo sneered at the blast marks where the figure had been. "That's what you get for calling me a foolish mortal! BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

The boulder cracked and exploded, a spray of black smoke arching into the sky and swirling around as if seeking something…

Rikuo looked at the smoke…and then shoved his hands into his pockets, walking away innocently. ("Nobody can blame me for this if no one knows that I did it.")

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As the light died down, Ichigo smirked and held up two cards. "Plus…since Blessings of Luna was sent to the graveyard, I may pick up a monster and a magic card from my graveyard. So now I summon Silent Swordsman Level 0 in attack mode!" (1000/1000) A short little child in a white and blue coat appeared on the field.

Hitokage grimaced. "How did you summon another monster? You already summoned Handmaiden of Luna this turn!"

Ichigo waved his finger in the air. "The special ability of Luna allows me to summon once more when she destroys the field. So now I attack with Silent Swordsman! Sword of Silence Level Zero!" The child pulled a huge sword from out of nowhere and ran over to slash through Hitokage.

Ichigo- 1400

Hitokage- 6500

"Finally I set one card face-down. End turn." Ichigo looked completely confident, now that he had sent Hitokage's Soul Reaver Dragon to the graveyard. "I'm gonna win, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"We'll see…Blue Osiris." Hitokage didn't feel like he had the right to insult Ichigo anymore. After all, never before had anyone won once he had gotten his dragon onto the field. "I draw, set one card face-down, and summon Soul Barricade (800/2000) in defense mode!" A wall of white ectoplasm appeared on his field. From within it an endless number of pained screams could be heard. "End turn."

Ichigo drew, and in a flash of light Silent Swordsman got taller. "When my turn comes around, Silent Swordsman goes up one level and gains 500 attack and defense points. So now you face Silent Swordsman Level 1!" (1500/1500)

Hitokage tapped a button on his duel disk. "And now you face my face-down Hexblaster! And since your monster's level up ability is an effect, he will now be destroyed!" The jade-eyed duelist discarded the one card in his hand and a swirl of black smoke exploded from the trap card, heading across the field towards the little warrior. "Once more, my skill prevails."

"Maybe, but your ego makes you think yourself invincible! And that is your downfall!" Ichigo smirked as the black swirl of smoke dissipated. "I reveal Time Jump! This quickplay magic card speeds up the turn count by three, and it also destroys all effects that it is chained to!" There was a bright flash of light on his field as the Silent Swordsman gained three levels. "Now Silent Swordsman Level 4, attack his Soul Barricade!" (3000/3000) "Sword of Silence Level Four!" Launching across the field, the warrior slashed through the white ectoplasm wall and blew it apart.

Hitokage drew the top card of his deck. "Clever move, but stupid attack. You activated my monster's special effect, for when it is destroyed I may take the top card of my deck and if it is a magic card I can play it immediately!" Glancing at the card, he smiled slightly. "This just isn't your day. I activate Book of Ancient Shadows! This magic card lets me draw cards off of my deck until I reach a monster card. That monster goes into my hand and cannot be played during the turn it enters my hand. The rest of the cards go to the graveyard, and I gain 300 life points for each one of them!" Drawing two cards, he frowned and discarded the first. "Only 300 life points."

Ichigo- 1400

Hitokage- 6800

Ichigo slid the card he had drawn into his duel disk. "I set one card face-down. End turn."

Hitokage drew, glanced at the card, and placed it onto his disk. "I play Master of Reincarnation (800/800) in defense mode." A man in crystal white robes appeared on the field in a crouching position. "Now I may discard one card from my hand to pick up one monster from my graveyard." Discarding the single card in his hand, he selected a new one. "So far…you're not proving yourself to be that much better than before. End turn."

"Yeah, well at least I'm actually fighting." Ichigo drew. "Silent Swordsman becomes Level 5!" (3500/3500) "And now he attacks your Master!" Nodding at the order, the now experienced and tall warrior leapt across the field to slash through Hitokage's creature. "Then I set one card and end my turn!"

Hitokage drew, glanced at the card, and then placed a monster face-down on his disk. "I set one monster in defense mode. End turn."

Ichigo drew. "Silent Swordsman Level 6!" (4000/4000) "I summon Cyber Shadow-Carrier (1000/1000) in attack mode!" A metal crab-like robot appeared on his field. "Now Carrier, attack his defender!" Releasing a strange metallic screech, the robot skittered across the field and chopped through Hitokage's monster.

("Damn…he didn't fall for it.") The blond-haired duelist held up the monster card. "Sangan (1000/600) will let me search once again for any monster with 1500 or less attack points." Selecting the card from his deck he wanted, Hitokage prepared for what was to come.

"Sword of Silence Level Six!" Yelling out a battle cry, the Silent Swordsman slashed his holographic weapon through Hitokage's shoulder. "Hitokage Seijitsu, I've enjoyed this duel immensely. Now though, it's time to bring it to a close. One of us will fall, and from what I can see that will be you. End turn."

Ichigo- 1400

Hitokage- 2800

Clutching his chest where the pain simulators had damaged him, Hitokage began to feel something pulse within his brain. Shadowed memories flashed through his thoughts, and he shook for a few seconds before returning to himself. "I will not…let myself be defeated here! Draw!" All around him, a deep shadow appeared. It was different than the pure and relentless night that came with a darkness game, yet at the same time those two energies could almost be considered one and the same. ("This card…I don't own it. Yet its voice is like the voice that I heard before. The voice of shadows…") "Pilkington!"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes slightly. "What?"

"This duel will end here! I activate Voice of Shadows!" The shadows that hovered around Hitokage spread to encompass the whole field. "Voice of Shadows will now tally up the attack of all monsters in our graveyard, and then cut that total in half. That amount is how much damage we will take! So now…this duel ends!" (Ichigo:4925; Hitokage:6450)

From out of both of their graveyards exploded a huge mass of black energy, which swallowed up the whole field.

Ichigo- 0

Hitokage- 0

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Everyone stared at the hovering shadow-like cloud where the two duelists had been just a few seconds before. Murmurs of confusion about who the winner would be came from within the crowd. Then the shadow disappeared and left both duelists standing.

"Hitokage…" Ichigo was speechless. That power had been…had been like Blessings of Luna. Because of his connection with his own card, he could sense similar connections around him. And that was one of them. "How long…"

"For about less than a minute…" Hitokage wasn't sure what had driven him to play that magic card. By using it, he had achieved a stalemate. If he had continued to duel he would have most likely won. "Very well…then we can say that this duel was a draw. Perhaps next time our battle will come to a more definite conclusion?"

"Perhaps," Ichigo smiled slightly. "It was a pleasure dueling against you."

"You were also…sufficient." Hitokage had a lot on his mind at the moment, but he knew somehow that he'd just become involved in something important. ("So be it then…Pilkington…we'll meet again soon. First though, I must sort out my feelings on this matter.") Nodding his head, the blond-haired duelist walked off and left the crowd speechless in his wake. Never before had Hitokage Seijitsu simply accepted anything other than total and complete victory.

Ichigo let out a deep sigh, and then walked away as well. He had quite a bit on his mind too.

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"Damn it all to the deepest and darkest hells!" Rikuo crossed his arms across his chest and frowned unhappily. ("Where's that damned girls' dorm!?")

At the moment the wolf demon was sitting on a large boulder over-looking another patch of forest. He'd been at this for a few hours now, and was so pissed that he was considering actually letting himself get captured by the guards just so that he could find his daughter. Of course, then he remembered how much fun he had running from them. ("Never mind that…can't let them think I'm easy prey.")

"Penny for your thoughts, stranger?" A very familiar voice said from behind him.

Smirking, Rikuo glanced behind him and felt some of his troubles wash away. "Just trying to find my damned daughter. I want to make sure that she's doing alright up here."

Daniel stuck his hands in his pockets and smirked back. "Ah yes…your daughter. I've been meaning to talk to you about her, if you wouldn't mind."

Standing, the wolf demon brushed his clothing free of dirt and walked up to hug his hikari. "In a second…let me just get used to seeing your smiling face again."

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Ichigo nearly broke out of his last class too early, but he had good reason. He wanted to avoid the many different questions concerning Blessings of Luna, and therefore he had to use that ever-helpful demon speed. The moment the bell for last classes rang, there was a brown and red blur running away from the classrooms at top speed. That would be Ichigo…

("If someone else asks me about Blessings of Luna, I swear I'll hit them so hard…")

A foot snapped out of nowhere and tripped him, creating a four foot long skid mark in the dirt where Ichigo had face-planted.

Snapping his now dirty face up, the half-demon spun around to come face to face with the last person he wanted to see right now. "Eri…" ("Ah hell.")

"Your father contacted me and told me to bring you with me to the arena." Her voice wasn't cold, but it certainly wasn't warm.

"Uh…you're not going to like…challenge me to a darkness game again, are you?" Ichigo still felt close to terrified when in the prescense of the demoness.

"Don't be idiotic," Turning, Eri walked away in the direction of the arena. "If I wanted to hurt you, then you'd be dead already."

Gulping loudly, Ichigo followed.

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The two demons arrived to find the doors to the stands open and waiting for them.

"Glad you guys decided to make it," Griff said in a strangely cheerful manner. He, along with Krieger, Sammy and Ashley were all sitting down in the front row of the completely empty stands.

"But what did we make it to?" Ichigo took a seat next to his two friends, while Eri sat as far away from them, but as close to her friends as possible.

"You made it to the duel of the century!" Sammy sounded just as cheerful.

"The duel of the century?" Both part wolf demons glanced at each other and then finally brought their eyes to the ring.

"Dad!?" Both of them gasped out at once.

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Rikuo smirked and turned on the duel disk he had borrowed from the employee storage room. "Are you sure that you are up to this?"

Daniel rolled his eyes and turned on his disk. "Come now, don't think me stupid. Do I seem like I've been slacking off in the last eleven years?"

"No, you don't. But at the same time…neither have I!"

Both wolves smirked and drew their starting five. "Let's duel!"

Daniel- 4000

Rikuo- 4000

_To be continued…_

To Demon Fan: Aye, thanks much.

To Kitsune Duelist: How right you are.

To falcon demon general: (Rikuo: BWHAHAHAHA!!! I have fans!

To Bobbomp: Why would you want Jerry in a can?

To Anime Albino: I don't know him, so I can't make that assumption.

To GryphinWyrm7: I don't really care that you used him…just…he has brown hair. (You said blond.)

To Adriel: Be careful what you wish for. Next time it might just be a whale.

To Seeker of the Soul: Yes it certainly does.

To A Neo Okami named Wolfy: Whoa….slow down there. The period is your friend. And I'll see what I can do.


	23. Wolves of Light and Darkness

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

_Rikuo smirked and turned on the duel disk he had borrowed from the employee storage room. "Are you sure that you are up to this?"_

_Daniel rolled his eyes and turned on his disk. "Come now, don't think me stupid. Do I seem like I've been slacking off in the last eleven years?"_

"_No, you don't. But at the same time…neither have I!"_

_Both wolves smirked and drew their starting five. "Let's duel!"_

_Daniel- 4000_

_Rikuo- 4000 _

"I'm first, draw!" Daniel snapped a card off of his deck. "I summon Elemental Hero-Bubbleman (800/1200) in attack mode!" An aqua-blue armored superhero monster appeared on his field. "And since I have no cards on my field other than him, I may draw two cards!" Now he had seven cards in his hand.

"Keh! Those damned superheroes of yours, eh?" Rikuo snickered playfully. "Aren't you a bit old to believe in superheroes?"

"I believe in you, don't I?" The half wolf-demon slid two cards into his duel disk. "I set two cards face-down. End turn!"

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"I can't believe this!" Eri snarled angrily. "Father, why are you speaking so civilly with that hanyou bastard!?"

Sammy, Ashley, Krieger, Griff and Ichigo all stared at her like she was out of her mind. It was obvious to the five of them that those two were old friends.

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Rikuo heard his daughter, but didn't respond. ("She brings up an interesting point. I used to actually care whether someone was a hanyou or not. Now though…") He drew. "Daniel, you are my light and my sanity. Yet we've spent so much time apart…can I still truly say we are two halves to a whole?" He slapped a card onto his disk. "I summon Psycho Soldier (1450/1500) in attack mode." A humanoid robot wearing green and blue armor appeared on his field. It had a strange resemblance to both wolves' favorite monster, Jinzo. "Then I play the magic card Limiter Removal, doubling its attack power for one turn. At the end of this turn, all machine monsters increased by this effect will be destroyed." Smoke sprayed from Psycho Soldier's armor as it went into overdrive. (2900/1500)

He pointed at Bubbleman. "Attack now!" The robot fired a red laser beam out of its two red lens eyes.

Daniel tapped a button on his duel disk. "I reveal my trap card Dimensional Tunnel Mirror Gate!" The field warped and the positions of Bubbleman and Psycho Soldier were switched. "Now battle will continue as normal!" The beam continued on its way, slashing through Bubbleman and blowing it apart.

Daniel- 4000

Rikuo- 1900

Rikuo smirked and slid a card from his hand into his duel disk. "Thank you for the life point gain."

"What?" Daniel didn't sound surprised at all, he had expected as much.

"When Psycho Soldier destroys a monster in battle, that monster's owner is allowed to gain twice as many life points as they lost. If they do so, then Psycho Soldier's _owner_ may special summon one machine monster from their deck to the field." Psycho Soldier fired a beam of white light that shined over the wolf demon's body. Smirking, Rikuo caught a card that was spat out of his duel disk. "So I'll gain 3800 life points and I'll special summon Jinzo (2400/1500) to the field!" The green armored humanoid that was both Daniel and Rikuo's trade-mark monster appeared on the field, chuckling coldly. "End turn."

Daniel- 4000

Rikuo- 5700

Daniel thought about Rikuo's question…

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"Come on dad, beat that look-alike's face in!" Ichigo couldn't believe someone had so quickly made his father look foolish. "I know you can do it!"

"He's going to lose," commented Ashley. "Mr. Amero is one of the best duelists in the world. He defeated the entire faculty here one by one last year."

"That's right, he's the absolute best. Even the top five duelists of this school can't beat him in a duel." Sammy loved the fact that Rikuo was almost considered the mascot/protector of the Obelisk Blue girls' dorms.

Eri just smirked knowingly. "My father will win…and your father will fail like all hanyou are meant to."

Krieger frowned angrily. "Why must you constantly speak of him and us like we are inferiors?" He nearly leapt out of his seat as Eri's face shot in just a few inches from his.

"Because…you…are!"

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"Rikuo Amero, you are the darkness that gave me the strength to fight against that which threatened all things I loved. Yes, we're both the same being. Yet at the same time we are individuals." Daniel drew. "I switch Psycho Soldier into defense mode, and then I'll set one monster in defense. End turn."

Rikuo drew. "That sounds like a fairly vague answer. Of course…that had been our relationship, hasn't it? We aren't even sure about what we would be considered. Are we brothers? Great grandfather and great grandson?" Glancing at his cards, the wolf demon slapped one onto his disk. "I summon Y-Dragon Head (1500/1600) in attack mode!" A red mechanical dragon appeared on his field. "Now Jinzo, attack Psycho Soldier!" A ball of black light launched from the machine monster's hands and blew Daniel's monster to pieces. "Y-Dragon Head, attack his defender!" A burst of lightning flew out of the dragon's mouth and destroyed Daniel's set Elemental Hero-Sparkman. (1600/1400) "End turn."

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"Your loser father doesn't stand a chance against mine. Those Elemental Hero cards are pure trash." Eri puffed out her chest just a little more. "Nobody defeats the mighty Rikuo Amero!"

"We'll see about that!" Ichigo yelled down to the field, "DAD! You can do it!"

The four friends of the two part wolf demons just stared at their respective friends.

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"We're parts of the same whole, and yet our blood is so different not even the greatest geneticist in the world would be able to find any kind of blood relationship between the two of us. Trust me…I did some checking." Daniel drew.

Rikuo raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Why would you care?"

"I wanted to be sure of some things." The half wolf-demon slid two cards into his disk. "I set one card face-down and play Polymerization!" A towering white and yellow armored superhero appeared on his field. "I'll fuse Elemental Hero-Clayman (800/2000) and Elemental Hero-Sparkman together to create Elemental Hero-Thunder Giant!" (2400/1000)

Rikuo didn't lose pleased to see that particular monster. ("Damn it…not this again.")

Daniel smirked and pointed at Y-Dragon Head. "When Thunder Giant is summoned to the field, he destroys one monster on the field with an attack total lower than his own. Vapor Sparks!" A blast of lightning fell from nowhere and blew the red mechanical monster apart. "Now Thunder Giant, attack Jinzo! Voltaic Thunder!" The titan charged up lightning within his hands.

Rikuo grimaced and pointed at Thunder Giant. "Jinzo, counter-attack now!" The metal monster charged up a ball of black energy within its palms and threw it across the field at the same time that Thunder Giant threw a wave of lighting from its hands. In a flash of light both monsters were gone. "Impressive play…you've destroyed my monsters. I never understood why you played those damned fusions though. They take so many cards for so little advantage."

"You seem to forget that I'm never without a plan, my dear Yami!" Daniel's face-down card flipped up. "Hero Signal activates when I lose one monster because of battle. It will special summon another Elemental Hero from my deck to the field!" His deck spat out a card, which he slapped onto his disk. "I summon my final Elemental Hero-Sparkman to the field in attack mode!" A yellow and blue body-suited superhero appeared on the field, lightning crackling around its form. "Spark Slash!" A blast of lightning leapt from its palm and slammed into Rikuo's chest. "End turn Rikuo. Nice try though."

Daniel- 4000

Rikuo- 4100

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"Father, crush that insolent hanyou! I know you can do it!" Eri glared at the now smirking Ichigo. "Damn you and your whole blood-line!"

Ichigo's response was to lift his hand and flash the victory sign. "Love and peace, my dear Eri, love and peace."

The demoness snarled angrily, but the pulse of the choker around her neck was too soothing for her to stay enraged for very long. A few seconds later she resolved herself to just sit and mutter unhappily.

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Rikuo drew. "So, is our deal still on? I won't hold you to any bet you don't want to go through with. Honestly…" He glanced up at Ichigo and frowned. "I'd prefer to not even put the offer out, but the Vixen said that if I didn't it was no more ear-rubs for me. That's unacceptable."

Daniel chuckled warmly. "Ah…yeah, I'm amazed I've lasted this long without them."

Rikuo smiled slyly. "Now then…back to the game! I summon X-Head Cannon (1800/1500) in attack mode! Now I attack Sparkman, Laser Blasters!" A blue and yellow robot appeared on his field. Lowering the cannon barrels attached to its back, the machine fired off a wave of energy that rocketed towards Daniel's superhero.

"Rikuo, you should know better than that! I activate my trap card, Monster Relief!" Daniel pulled the Sparkman card off of his disk and the monster disappeared. "Now I summon a different four star or below monster from my hand to the field. So I'll summon another Elemental Hero-Bubbleman in defense mode!" Another aqua blue superhero appeared on his field in a crouching position just in time to catch the blast from the X-Head Cannon. "And since I had no cards on my field when he was summoned, I get to draw two cards again!" The half wolf-demon slid two cards off of his deck and into his hand. "Anything else?"

Snickering, the wolf demon slid a card into his duel disk. "But of course, my dear Hikari. End turn."

Daniel drew. "I have no problem with your bet, though I don't think Ichigo or Eri would appreciate it much." Glancing at the drawn card, he grinned and slapped it onto his disk. "I summon my last Elemental Hero-Bubbleman." For the third time in the match, an aqua blue superhero appeared on the field. "And once more, since I have no other cards in play I may draw twice." Sliding two more cards off of his deck, Daniel now had five cards.

"Now I play the magic card Bubble Shuffle! This magic card can only be activated when I have a Bubbleman face-up on my field. It will switch the modes of my Bubbleman and one monster on your side of the field!" Both Bubbleman and X-Head Cannon threw their arms up in front of them as they went into defense mode. "Also, I may sacrifice Bubbleman to summon any Elemental Hero in my hand to the field!"

The aqua blue superhero disappeared in a flash of light and was replaced by a much stronger-looking superhero in golden armor that seemed capable of cutting through anything. "So I summon Elemental Hero-Edgeman (2600/1400) in attack mode! Attack X-Head Cannon now!" Nodding, the superhero flashed across the field and cut straight through the machine monster, destroying it instantly. "Also, the effect of Edgeman means that he deals damage through defense! End turn, Rikuo."

Daniel- 4000

Rikuo- 3000

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"All right Mr. Pilkington!" Krieger leapt up out of his seat and threw a fist up into the air. "You can do it!"

Griff rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ("These heroes are good…but they aren't what he's used in the past.")

Sammy and Ashley both leapt up and shouted, "Come on Mr. Amero, you can beat that guy easily!"

Eri and Ichigo were both watching silently now. From the looks of it, things were heating up.

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Rikuo frowned and drew. "This is getting old Daniel…so why don't you bring out your true monsters? These superheroes are old news. I want your true cards."

Daniel rubbed his index finger under his nose. "You're gonna have to make me, Rikuo."

The wolf demon knew exactly what Daniel was doing. "You're trying to bait me. Keh!" Selecting a card from his hand, Rikuo slid it into his disk. "I activate End of Existence! This magic card will remove one face-up monster on the field from the game!" A thunder-clap shook the stadium as Daniel's Edgeman disappeared. "Now I summon Steel Angel!" (1650/1500) A teenage looking girl in a maid's uniform appeared on the field. "Her special ability allows me to discard any number of cards from my hand to draw an equal number of cards from my deck once per turn." Sliding the two cards in his hand into the graveyard, Rikuo drew two more.

"Now I reveal my face-down magic card, Sacrifice to the Underworld!" A black hand exploded out of the ground and dragged the Steel Angel into the earth. "Now I may special summon out one demon sub-type monster from my hand! Come out, my avatar!" The black hand remerged from the ground with a wolf demon in samurai armor in hand. Depositing the monster on Rikuo's field, it faded away. "Wolf Demon Lord (2400/1000) in attack mode! Direct attack…Howling Sword!" Slamming its katana into the ground, the Wolf Demon Lord created a wave of phantom flame that tore across the earth and slammed into Daniel.

Daniel- 1600

Rikuo- 3000

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"Hang in there dad!!!" Ichigo nearly leapt out of his seat in his excitement.

"He's going to lose…you know that right?" Eri smirked coldly. "No one beats my father in a duel. No one!"

Ichigo glared at her for a few seconds, and then sighed. "My dad will win…because he believes in his skill, just like I do."

"Just to let you know," Eri's smirk got a few degrees colder, "My father's skill cannot be surpassed."

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Daniel brushed away a few wisps of digital smoke. "Wow…you really want me to show you my best? I thought we were just going to have a friendly match…" His warm smile disappeared, replaced by a look that actually made him seem like a copy of Rikuo. "Fine…draw!" Snapping a card off of his deck, the half wolf-demon flipped it over. "First I play Pot of Greed to draw two cards from my deck!"

Two more cards gave him a hand of five. "And now I'll activate the magic card Return of the Lost! By discarding one card from my hand I can bring back one monster from my removed from play pile!" Edgeman reappeared. "You ready, Rikuo!?"

"Definitely…" Rikuo smirked calmly. "Come and show me the power that defeated me once before. I implore you to."

Daniel nodded solemnly. "Alright…but remember that you asked for it! Activate magic card, Sacrifice For Knowledge!" Edgeman disappeared. "Now I draw cards equal to the level of Edgeman, which is seven. After that, I must discard that same number of cards!" Sliding seven cards off of his deck, Daniel felt his Duelist's Heart take over. ("You wanted the power that my deck truly possessed? Then brace yourself, my friend.") Discarding seven cards from his hand, Daniel slid one of the two remaining ones into his disk. "I set one card face-down on my field! Then I activate the special ability of the monster in my hand. Since you have more monsters in play than I do, I will summon out Cyber Dragon (2100/1400) without having to tribute!" A huge serpentine robot appeared on his field. "End turn!"

Rikuo drew. "That's more like it. I know I wouldn't have lost to those silly superheroes of yours." The wolf demon slid one card into his duel disk. "I set this face-down on my field, and then I attack with Wolf Demon Lord! Howling Sword!" The warrior slammed its sword into the ground, creating a wave of phantom flame that rocketed towards Daniel's Cyber Dragon.

Daniel narrowed his eyes slightly and without even looking motioned to his face-down card. "I activate my trap card, Titanium Plating." The Cyber Dragon curled into a ball and turned incredibly shiny. "This switches my monster into defense mode and raises its defense points by 1000." (2100/2400) "And since it is a continuous trap card, you won't have an easy time getting rid of it." The wave from the Howling Sword slammed harmlessly into the defense Cyber Dragon. "Anything else?"

("Finally, his true soul has awakened.") "I set one monster and end my turn." Rikuo took on just as predatory of a look as Daniel. "My light…you're just as powerful as before. So let's see which one of the two of us is going to lose, shall we?"

Daniel smirked slightly. "Sure, why not? After all, we still have that bet going on right?"

Rikuo glanced up at the now awe-stricken teenagers in the stands. "Yeah we do…so let's just give it our all. I'm sure they'll forgive the loser if we can prove that."

"Right…" Daniel drew. "Then let the true duel of light and darkness begin once more!"

_To be continued…_

To OshiShadow: Ooooo…new reviewer.

To gohan11: Don't make me bust out my Koala stick. I swear I'll do it.

To falcon demon general: (Rikuo: You wanna go punk!?

To boatyxs: Damn….stop complimenting Rikuo you guys. He's got enough of a swelled head without you! ::Gets tackled by said wolf demon::

To Seeker of the Soul: And so it begins…in the middle?

To Adriel: Damn…. ::Calls off the whale bomber::


	24. Machines of Different Calibers

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 24: Machines of different calibers

_("Finally, his true soul has awakened.") "I set one monster and end my turn." Rikuo took on just as predatory of a look as Daniel. "My light…you're just as powerful as before. So let's see which one of the two of us is going to lose, shall we?"_

_Daniel smirked slightly. "Sure, why not? After all, we still have that bet going on right?"_

_Rikuo glanced up at the now awe-stricken teenagers in the stands. "Yeah we do…so let's just give it our all. I'm sure they'll forgive the loser if we can prove that."_

"_Right…" Daniel drew. "Then let the true duel of light and darkness begin once more!"_

Glancing at the drawn card, he slid it into his duel disk. "I activate Card of Sanctity! Now we both draw until we have six cards in our hand."

Both demons drew six cards and spent a minute looking over the cards to see how they were going to use them.

"My turn continues with three cards face-down, and because you still have more monsters than I do, I'll special summon another Cyber Dragon (2100/1400) from my hand to the field without having to make a sacrifice." Another of the metal serpentine dragons appeared on Daniel's field. "Then I play the magic card Complete Set, which works when I have two monsters on the field that need a third to perform a fusion. If this is the case, I can special summon that monster from where-ever it is to the field!" Between the two Cyber Dragons, a third appeared. "Now I play Polymerization!"

Rikuo now understood the intensity behind this battle. ("He sealed his true dueling soul away long ago, knowing that he had no one to use it against. And now…now he has found a challenge worthy of reawakening the true deck of his soul.") The wolf demon wouldn't have wanted this duel to be any other way. Before this battle was over one of them was going to fall, and no one could say for sure who it was going to be.

All three of the Cyber Dragons disappeared in a flash of bright light, replaced by a huge winged and three-headed version of a Cyber Dragon. "Cyber End Dragon in attack mode!" (4000/2300) "This monster has the ability to deal damage through defense, so I'll attack your face-down monster to wipe you out! Triple Evolution Burst!" The three metal dragon heads each fired a ball of energy that flew across the field to cut through whatever Rikuo had set in defense mode.

Tapping a button on his duel disk, the wolf demon sneered. "Shame on you! You think I'd be so easily caught unaware of those pieces of tinfoil that you call machines? Well I activate the trap card Computer Crushing Virus!" A grey mist sprayed out of the card and engulfed Daniel's field. "This will destroy all machine sub-type monsters on my opponent's field, as well as negate their attacks!" Releasing one pained screech, the Cyber End Dragon was destroyed.

Daniel slid two cards into his duel disk. "I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

Rikuo drew. "I play the magic card Dark Draining Claws! This will drain you of 1000 life points and give me 500!" A pair of black claws exploded from the magic card and flew across the field to stab Daniel.

"Open face-down card!" One of Daniel's two set cards flipped up. "Reversal of Pain! This trap will change the target of one amount of damage to a different player. So get ready to lose 1000 life points, and then gain 500!" The two claws twisted around and charged towards Rikuo.

"Keh! Don't make me laugh Daniel. I play this quickplay magic card from my hand, Reverse Damage!" The claws turned into a golden light that flowed over the wolf demon. "This will change life point damage into life point gain."

Daniel- 1600

Rikuo- 4500

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Up in the stands, Krieger rubbed his eyes a couple of times to make sure that he had this right. "Wow…the tone of this game changed real quickly. It seems like they are suddenly fighting at full intensity."

"Go dad! Don't worry, I believe in you!" Ichigo was leaning over the railing so far that it looked like he was about to drop out of the stands.

"Father, crush that hanyou beneath your feet!" Eri was in a similar position on the guard railings.

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"Wolf Demon Lord, direct attack for game! Howling Sword!" Slamming its blade into the ground, the demon samurai created another wave of phantasmal flame that tore along the earth towards Daniel.

"Reverse card open!" Daniel motioned to his other set card. "Research and Development! This trap allows me to draw three cards from my deck, and activate one of them immediately. The other two get discarded!"

Sliding three cards off of his deck, Daniel immediately grabbed one and slammed it into a disk slot. "I activate the trap card Makeshift Defense! By removing one machine from the graveyard I can create a token on the field with half of its attack in defense points! So I'll remove Cyber End Dragon!" A destroyed hunk of steel that resembled the destroyed monster appeared on the field just in time to get blown apart by the Howling Sword attack.

Rikuo slid three cards into his duel disk. "I set these face-down and end my turn."

Daniel drew, glanced at the card, and slid it into his disk. "Time to play the magic card Reboot! This will end my turn, but also shuffle all of our cards together and let us draw five apiece." The field vanished as both duelists shuffled their cards into their decks and drew new hands.

Rikuo drew. "Nice try, but since you only have 1600 life points that was probably one of the most stupid things I have ever seen you do. I summon Mechanical Chaser (1850/800) in attack mode and attack your life points directly!" A little hovering metal robot with three metal scythes coming out of its body screeched and launched across the field to cut down its master's opponent.

Daniel slid a card from his hand into his graveyard. "I discard Kuriboh!" (300/200) A little brown fur-ball appeared on the field in front of him, taking a scythe blow meant to end the game for him. "By discarding Kuriboh from my hand I can negate any one source of battle damage to my life points this turn!"

Rikuo snorted and lifted his head haughtily. "No need to speak to me like I'm a rookie, I know what Kuriboh does."

"I'm explaining it for our audience members. After all, they are still students of this academy." Daniel seemed like his old self for a few seconds. Then his friendly demeanor vanished and was replaced by the hunter-like exterior of his wolf-demon self.

"Of course…my apologies." Rikuo slid two cards into his disk. "I set two cards face-down on the field and end my turn."

"My turn…draw!" Daniel snapped the top card off of his deck and slapped it onto his disk. "I summon Kinetic Soldier (1350/1800) in defense mode!" A humanoid robot appeared on the field in a crouching position. "Then I set the rest of my hand face-down. End turn." Four cards appeared on the field behind his soldier.

Rikuo drew. "Putting all of your eggs in one basket is never wise. Oh well, your mistake!" Glancing at the drawn card, he snickered. "It's a bad day to be you. I play the magic card Heavy Storm!" A huge wind started to pick up on the field. "Now all magic and trap cards on the field are going to be destroyed."

Daniel tapped two buttons on his duel disk. "What makes you think I'm that stupid!? I activate my trap card combo. First I flip up the trap card Squall Barricade!" A green shield of light fell over his magic and trap card zone. "This will prevent my cards in my magic and trap zone from being destroyed this turn!"

Rikuo turned bright red in embarrassment as his two face-down cards were destroyed. "Errr……right then, moving on. What was the other card?"

Daniel motioned to a metal ring hanging around the neck of Mechanical Chaser. The ring had grenades all over it. "I activate Ring of Destruction. This will destroy your creature and wipe out 1850 of both of our life points. Also, I will reveal another face-down card!" It flipped up and an ancient-looking golden gun appeared on the field. "Barrel Behind the Door will send any life point damage aimed at me straight to you. You're about to lose, Rikuo!"

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"Alright dad!" Ichigo would have leapt right out of the stands, had Griff not grabbed the back of his coat and tug him back in. "He's got it!"

Eri growled loudly and slammed her fists into the railing, denting the steel inwards. "Come on father, get with the program!!!"

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Rikuo discarded a card from his hand. "I refuse to allow you to beat me with that tired old combo. I play the quickplay magic card Hate for One's self! At the cost of 1000 life points I will destroy all cards that are in chain with this one!" Both the ring and gun crumbled into dust.

Daniel- 1600

Rikuo- 3500

The two stood across from each other, while a strange silence held in the arena.

Then both wolves smiled slightly and the duel continued…

Rikuo slammed another card into his duel disk. "I play the magic card Trap Immunization Armor!" The Mechanical Chaser shimmered and transformed into a much more high-tech version of itself. "This will raise my monster's attack points by 1000 for one turn, as well as make it immune to the effects of trap cards!" (2850/800) "Mechanical Chaser, attack Kinetic Solider now!" The little pod floated across the field and slashed through Daniel's machine. "Then I set one card face-down and end my turn." (1850/800)

"Draw!" Daniel glanced at it and nodded to himself. "I play Card of Demise!" His hand flashed across his deck five times. "Now I can draw until I have five cards in my hand. In five turns, I must discard my hand though."

"Actually, you're only half right!" Rikuo motioned to his face-down card. "I activate Power Balance! Now you discard half of your hand, rounded down, while I draw a number of cards equal to the number you discarded, rounded up."

Frowning, Daniel discarded two cards while Rikuo drew three. "Good play Rikuo, but that doesn't put you in the lead! I summon Cyber Dragon (2100/1400) without tributing for it, since you have more monsters on the field than I do!" Once again, the towering serpentine metal dragon appeared on the field. "Cyber Dragon, attack Mechanical Chaser! Evolution Burst!" Opening its jaws, the Cyber Dragon sprayed out a gout of fire that consumed Rikuo's robot.

Daniel- 1600

Rikuo- 3250

Glancing at the two other cards in his hand, Daniel slid them into his disk. "I'll be setting these two face-down as well. End turn."

Rikuo drew. "Heh…so the action keeps getting more and more intense? Well then let me up the scales a bit!" The wolf demon slapped a card down onto his disk. "I summon Silver Wind-up Knight (1000/1000) in defense mode!" A little wind-up mechanical knight made of silver appeared on the field in a crouching position. "Then I set three cards face-down. End turn."

"Draw!" Daniel slid a card free from his deck and then pointed at Silver Wind-up Knight. "Cyber Dragon, attack his monster with your Evolution Burst!" Snarling, the dragon sprayed out gouts of fire.

Rikuo motioned to his middle face-down card. "I activate the trap card Magical Recollection! This will allow me to copy the effect of one magic card that you have used in the past ten turns! So I'll copy the effects of Complete Set!"

"How can you use Complete Set when you only have one of the three Wind-up Knights on the field?" Daniel felt his blood pounding in his heart, and his adrenaline surging through his veins.

"It's all thanks to this quickplay magic card!" Rikuo motioned to another of his set cards, which flipped up. "I activate the trap card Toy Box! This allows me to special summon one Wind-up Knight monster card from my deck to the field!" A card was spat out of Rikuo's deck and he slapped it onto his disk. "So come out, Bronze Wind-up Knight!" (500/500) A mechanical knight half the size of the silver one appeared on the field.

Another card was spat out of Rikuo's deck, which he caught and slapped down next to its two kin. "So now Complete Set activates, allowing me to summon Gold Wind-up Knight (1500/1500) to the field in attack mode!" A third mechanical knight, this one gold, appeared on the field.

Daniel felt worried for a few seconds, until it occurred to him what Rikuo's problem was about to be. "You can't union those guys during my turn, which means all that you did was line up some neat little targets for me to destroy!"

"Oh, did I?" Rikuo snickered and tapped a button on his disk. "I reveal my last card, which is Magic Funnel!" A steel-shaped tube appeared on the field and sucked up the fire from Cyber Dragon's attack. "Now I can change your attack into a magic and trap card destruction effect! I choose to blow apart the card on your left!" The tube sealed itself, turning into something that looked like a pipe-bomb. "Now explode!" It launched itself across the field and blew whatever card Daniel had set into smithereens.

Grimacing, Daniel slid the drawn card into his disk. "I set this and end turn."

Rikuo drew. "I union Bronze Wind-up Knight, Silver Wind-up Knight and Gold Wind-up Knight together to create Super Toy Knight!" The three metal monsters blew into pieces which formed together to create one excessively huge mechanical knight. "Now, attack his Cyber Dragon with Super Knight Strike!" Lifting its sword, the toy warrior brought the heavy blade crashing down onto the metallic dragon, blowing it apart.

Daniel- 700

Rikuo- 3250

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Ichigo paled noticeably. "Dad! Hang in there!" He squirmed against the duct tape that held him to his seat.

Griff dusted his hands off and returned to watching the duel. "He's like a hyper-active five year old."

Eri snickered slightly at getting to see Ichigo get made a fool of, until she remembered that Ashley and Sammy had duct taped her to her chair too. ("Perhaps I should have taken their advice and calmed down.")

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Daniel motioned to one of his face-down cards. "I activate the trap card Time Machine! This will allow me to bring back one monster that was just destroyed in battle!" A metal pod appeared on his field. With a hydraulic hiss it opened and the Cyber Dragon slithered out.

"Keh, I beat it once and I'll beat it again. Just take a look at this magic card I'm holding." Rikuo snapped the card over to reveal a picture of a soldier leaping out of a dark corner of a room to attack someone. "Sneak Attack from the Darkness allows me to perform another battle phase after my first. So this is the end! Super Toy Knight, attack Cyber Dragon and wipe it out!" Giving off a loud metal squealing noise, the machine monster lumbered forwards to slash through the shiny metal dragon one more time. "It's been nice knowing you, Daniel."

"I'm not done yet! Reverse card open!" Daniel's face-down card snapped up, and the Cyber Dragon curled into itself. "I activated Titanium Plating, which will switch Cyber Dragon into defense mode and increase its defense by 1000 points!" (2100/2400) He braced himself as the Super Toy Knight slashed the dragon apart. This time though, Daniel would walk away from this battle with no life point damage.

Rikuo took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "So far it seems fairly evenly matched, eh?"

"You can only say that because you have a 3000 attack monster on your field," Daniel dead-panned jokingly.

Snickering, Rikuo leaned in a little and winked to his other half. "I'm sure you'll pull yourself out of this one with little to no problems. After all, you did it eleven years ago."

Daniel knew that he was being mocked, but he also knew exactly how to get under Rikuo's skin. "You understand that if you win…the bet…" He left the rest to fester in his counter-part's mind.

Rikuo frowned and glanced up at Ichigo. "Damn…first time ever that I've actually almost not wanted to win a duel." His lips curled into an evil smile. "But then again, Eri is a big girl now. She's still my little princess, but she's also able to take care of herself." He looked over at Daniel and continued to smile evilly. "So…ready to continue?"

"Always am," Daniel drew.

_To be continued…_


	25. A bet with unbelievable consequences

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 25: A bet with unbelievable consequences

_Rikuo took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "So far it seems fairly evenly matched, eh?"_

"_You can only say that because you have a 3000 attack monster on your field," Daniel dead-panned jokingly._

_Snickering, Rikuo leaned in a little and winked to his other half. "I'm sure you'll pull yourself out of this one with little to no problems. After all, you did it eleven years ago."_

_Daniel knew that he was being mocked, but he also knew exactly how to get under Rikuo's skin. "You understand that if you win…the bet…" He left the rest to fester in his counter-part's mind._

_Rikuo frowned and glanced up at Ichigo. "Damn…first time ever that I've actually almost not wanted to win a duel." His lips curled into an evil smile. "But then again, Eri is a big girl now. She's still my little princess, but she's also able to take care of herself." He looked over at Daniel and continued to smile evilly. "So…ready to continue?"_

"_Always am," Daniel drew._

One quick look at the card told Daniel all he needed to know. "I set one monster in defense and that's all."

Rikuo drew. ("What did you pull? If it is a high defense monster, then I'd still be able to defeat it.") "I set one card face-down and attack with Super Toy Knight! Go!" Lumbering forwards, the mechanical knight brought its sword down and cleaved the monster card in half.

Daniel braced himself against the backlash from his monster's destruction. "Are you done Rikuo?"

Shaking his head, the wolf demon snapped his fingers and his face-down card flipped up. "I activate Salvage Team. This will let me special summon all machine monsters that were destroyed as a result of battle this turn to my side of the field." A squat robot made of gears appeared on Rikuo's field. "So that's what you had set? A Gear Golem the Moving Fortress?" (800/2200)

The half wolf-demon shrugged innocently. "You gotta work with what life gives you."

"I never believed in that optimistic crap." Rikuo crossed his arms across his chest. "End turn."

Daniel drew. ("In two turns I'll have to discard my hand.") He had to make some headway before that happened. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Rikuo drew. "The clock is ticking, Daniel. Ready to see what fate has in store for you?" The wolf demon inserted one card into his duel disk. "I set this face-down, and then switch Gear Golem the Moving Fortress into attack mode!" The gear machine whined loudly as it started to hover in the air. "Super Toy Knight, attack his life points directly!" The machine lifted its blade back and brought it down towards Daniel's head…

Only to have it stopped by a glowing blue barrier of light…

"Oh bloody hell…" Rikuo wasn't even sure what had motivated him to switch Gear Golem into attack mode.

Daniel smirked and flicked one of his ears. "Gotcha…I activate my trap card! Go Mirror Force!" The barrier peppered Rikuo's field with energy and destroyed all of the wolf demon's attack mode monsters, which more or less meant almost his entire field.

Rikuo wiped a bead of sweat away from his forehead and took a deep breath. ("Sheesh…If I wasn't a demon I'd say I was getting too old for this.")

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"Father!!!" Eri looked completely enraged. "What are you doing!? How was that in any way a sensible play!?"

Ashley and Sammy just stared at the now ranting Eri. "Wow…."

Krieger and Griff stared at Ichigo, who was whistling loudly and cheering for Daniel. "Wow…"

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Daniel drew. One glance at the card told him that the win was his. ("Monster Reborn!") "I play…."

"You aren't playing anything!" Rikuo flipped up the card he had set. "Pyro Clock of Destiny speeds up the turn count by one, meaning that now you're at the five turn point. Card of Demise's secondary effect destroys your hand!" From out of nowhere a guillotine blade came slamming down and slashed right through Daniel's best current hope of winning.

With no cards in his hand or on his field, all Daniel could do was end his turn. "I'm not beaten yet…"

"We'll see!" Rikuo drew. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Daniel drew. "I'll also set one card face-down and end my turn."

"Good, then let's see what I've got for us!" Rikuo slid a card off of his deck gingerly. One glance at it told him exactly what he needed to know. "I play the magic card Pot of Greed." Depositing the card into his graveyard slot, the wolf demon drew two cards. "It looks like I'm…"

Daniel took a deep breath and motioned to his face-down card. "Activate Null And Void! This trap will force you to discard all cards that you draw from one effect."

Frowning, Rikuo discarded his hand. "Damn…I forgot that you know my dueling strategy just like I know yours. End turn."

Daniel drew. "I set one card face-down, end turn." He knew that he was currently sweating bullets, both figuratively and literally.

Rikuo drew. "And so our little Topdeck war continues. Who do you think will be the first to draw a monster card?" Snickering, Rikuo slapped the drawn card onto his disk. "Z-Metal Tank in attack mode!" (1500/1300) A yellow tank appeared on his field. "Attack his life points directly!"

Daniel motioned to his set card. "Activate Nanite Injection!" A metal syringe appeared on the field and stabbed its sharp metal tip right into the Z-Metal Tank. "This will turn your monster into the mental equivalent of a vegetable! It will be unable to attack or defend for the rest of the game!"

Rikuo tapped a button on his duel disk, flipping up his set card. "And I activate Explosive Interlude! It will destroy my Z-Metal Tank and drain both of us of 100 life points per level star of my beast." The yellow tank shuddered and exploded into flames. "End turn."

Daniel- 300

Rikuo- 2850

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Eri smirked widely, and glanced over at Ichigo. "My father is about to crush yours. As always, a hanyou can never defeat a true demon."

Krieger frowned and spoke up. "Correct me if I'm wrong Eri, but wouldn't you be a hanyou? After all, you are technically a half-breed…" His voice died down as he noticed how pale Sammy and Ashley were. As one they mouthed 'run'. "Oh damn…"

Seconds later a pair of blurs could be seen running out of the arena area. The first was a very terrified Krieger, and the second was a very pissed off Eri.

Griff stared at the spot where the chair Eri had been duct-taped to use to be. "Wow…at least the duct tape held."

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Daniel drew. ("Please let this be a monster…please be a monster.") One look at the card told him that it wasn't. "I set this card face-down on the field. End turn."

Rikuo drew. "Time is running out for you…I play Card of Demise!" The wolf demon slid five cards off of his deck. "Now that…"

"Hang on Rikuo, I have a trap card for that! I activate Trap Copier! By paying half of my life points this trap card can copy the effect of one trap card in my graveyard! So let's have it copy Null And Void!" Crossing his arms across his chest, Daniel didn't wilt in the slightest under Rikuo's glare.

Snarling distastefully, the wolf demon discarded his hand. "Very well. End turn."

Daniel- 150

Rikuo- 2850

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Eri came storming back in seconds later, this time free of the chair and the duct tape. "Stupid…moronic…hanyou…how dare he!" Growling angrily, she looked out at the arena and a cold smirk replaced the angry look on her face. "And once more, it seems like my father is in the lead, eh Ichi-chan?"

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Daniel drew. "I play the magic card Replay! At the cost of half of my life points, I can activate any magic card that is in my graveyard! So now I copy Monster Reborn!" There was an explosion of light, and the ground at his feet exploded. "I summon Cyber Dragon (2100/1400) back to the field in attack mode!" The metal dragon hissed loudly and began to charge up a ball of energy within its maw. "Evolution Burst!"

Rikuo threw up his arms to shield himself from the explosive blast that hit him.

Daniel- 75

Rikuo- 750

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Seeing the gaping look on Eri's face, Ichigo smirked and flashed the victory sign once more. "My dear demoness, do I need to repeat the magic words again?" All he got was a death glare from all three girls in return.

Griff sighed and wondered how long it would be until the entire female campus had something against his roommate.

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Rikuo smiled slightly. "Daniel…I'd say this is endgame, wouldn't you agree?"

The half wolf-demon nodded solemnly. "Yeah it is…"

"Good…just wanted to make sure." Rikuo drew. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Daniel drew. "Rikuo Amero…this is what I've missed for so long. I've missed the thrill of a battle against an attack that was worthy of my full strength. After all…once you've dueled evil goddesses and powerful demon kings, it kind of brings down the fun factor of normal duels. So, are you ready? I intend to end this here."

Rikuo smiled slightly at the determined look on the face of his other half. "I'm ready. Let's see if you can."

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Up in the stands, everyone had gone silent…

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Glancing at the drawn card, Daniel pointed at Rikuo. "Cyber Dragon, attack with Evolution Burst!" Roaring, the steel dragon charged up a ball of energy within its jaws and sprayed it across the field.

"Open face-down card, Mirror Force!" Rikuo's field become surrounded by a blue field of light, which absorbed the energy from the Cyber Dragon's attack and sent it back at Daniel in the form of a shotgun blast of power. Within mere seconds of attacking, the Cyber Dragon was destroyed.

Snapping the card in his hand over, Daniel slid it into his graveyard. "I discard Reconstruction Team (100/200) to bring back machine monster that was destroyed by a trap card effect." The earth shuddered again and the Cyber Dragon's head broke free from the stone. "End turn."

Rikuo drew, though he had yet to look at the card. "Are you ready?" Without looking he inserted it into his disk. "I set this and end my turn."

Daniel drew. ("A monster…alright, I'm pretty sure that I can risk attacking.") "Cyber Dragon, Evolution Burst!" Another ball of energy rocketed towards Rikuo…and the wolf demon wasn't making any move to activate his face-down card.

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"Alright dad! I knew he was bluffing all along!" Ichigo squirmed in his seat some more, trying to get free of the restrictive duct tape that kept him attached to his seat.

"Father! Don't let him win!" Eri literally roared out.

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Rikuo smirked slightly. "You've got me." Then he was engulfed by the Evolution Burst.

Daniel- 75

Rikuo- 0

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A compound cheer of "Go Daniel" had come up from Ichigo, Griff and Krieger.

Eri looked like she was about to spontaneously combust.

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"Rikuo…it was a fun game. I'm surprised that I managed to defeat you," Daniel started to approach the smoke cloud that had sprung up from the Evolution Burst slamming into Rikuo's field.

"Are you so sure?" Rikuo's voice echoed across the arena.

Freezing up, Daniel glanced down at the life point score.

Daniel- 75

Rikuo- 10

"Ten life points….how?" Then the smoke cleared, and Daniel saw why.

From behind a barrier of angry red light, Rikuo smirked slightly. "It's the end for one of us, but it certainly isn't me! Activate Big Bang Barrier!" With a roar that could drown out even the cries of some of the mightiest monsters in the game, the barrier sprayed out a wave of red power that blew into Daniel's Cyber Dragon and shattered it.

Owner of said Cyber Dragon braced himself, eyes wide at the fact his counter-part wasn't defeated. "What…"

"My set card was the trap card Big Bang Barrier, which can only be activated when it is the only card on my field and I'm being attacked for game. It stops my life points from falling below ten this turn, and it also destroys all monsters on your field. And for the last little kick to the proverbial groin, it forces you to discard one card from your hand for every monster destroyed by its effect." The wolf demon held up one finger. "This is how many monsters you lost…and it's also how many cards are in your hand."

Pale, Daniel discarded the monster he had drawn…

Rikuo drew. "I play Monster Reborn on Irios the Steel Monarch!" (2700/2300) A bulky clockwork humanoid robot appeared on his field. "Irios, direct attack!" Launching forwards, the machine slammed its fist down on Daniel's skull. With one gasp of pain he fell to his knees.

Daniel- 0

Rikuo- 10

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Ichigo, Krieger and Griff all had gone silent. Occasionally Krieger and Ichigo's ears would twitch, or Griff's right eye would do the same.

Eri, Ashley and Sammy all seemed to be in about the same mental process as well. Then they snapped out of it and started to cheer wildly.

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Daniel felt out of breath and tired…yet he couldn't say he felt sad. ("I got to duel Rikuo again…and that's all that matters.") He felt his counter-part haul him to his feet.

Still smirking, Rikuo ruffled his hikari's ears. "Eh…you're out of practice. Of course, perhaps next time you'll put your real best in?"

For a few seconds, Daniel felt torn between breaking down and crying, or just killing his other half. "I missed you so much Rikuo…"

"Keh! Well I'm not leaving for a little while, as long as you don't mind sharing your room." Patting his other half on the shoulder, the wolf demon gave a bow to the six teenagers up in the stands. "Thank you, thank you! We'll be here all week!"

Daniel frowned, silently cursing Rikuo for beating him. ("Now I have to be the one to tell them.") Without a word to his other half, the half wolf-demon bounded up the wall and into the stands.

Ichigo blinked as his dad was suddenly in front of him. "……..Uh…good try?"

Smiling at his son's ever-optimism, Daniel glanced over at Eri. "You aren't going to like what I'm about to tell you."

Rikuo grinned, realizing how lucky he was to have won the bet. ("If I'd have lost, I'd have to have been the one to tell them.")

Lifting her head haughtily, Eri snickered. "I doubt anything you could tell me would spoil my good mood at seeing you get destroyed by my father."

"Well…um…" Daniel tensed up just enough so that he could run it anyone attempted to attack him. "Alright…your mothers had this idea…"

Ichigo blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

Taking a deep breath to clear his thoughts, Daniel tried that again. "This Friday, as you ladies and Griff probably know, is a special Osiris Red and Obelisk Blue mixer party. The idea came into existence as a way to try and eliminate the natural Obelisk Blue disrespect for the lower class students…"

Ashley, Sammy, Griff, and Krieger all at once felt a cold chill up their spines. As one they glanced at each other, and then started to creep towards the exit.

Rikuo was already outside, and was smirking. ("Hmm…wonder who will be first out.")

Eri and Ichigo were strangely oblivious to their friends, who were inching towards the doors.

"…and your mothers thought it would a 'cute' idea for Ichigo to take Eri to the mixer…as his date." Daniel seemed to blur out of existence as he made a run for the door.

Both Eri and Ichigo were silent, and so far hadn't really moved yet. Slowly, they looked over at each other…and then looked over at the double doors where everyone had run out of. Both of them narrowed their eyes, cracked their knuckles, and in perfect unison stomped out after their fathers.

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"How'd they take it?" Rikuo gasped out, running alongside his other half.

"I didn't wait to find out!" Daniel glanced behind him nervously. "Come on, we'll be safe at the faculty lounge!"

Both of them skidded around a corner, and at once slid to a stop as they came within just a few inches of their strangely calm children. "Eeeeep!"

"Hi there dad…" Ichigo said slowly.

"Father, we need to talk…" Eri started to slowly advance forwards.

Rikuo and Daniel turned literal tail and ran.

They made it two feet before their children grabbed their respective tails and stopped them cold.

That night, both Daniel Pilkington and Rikuo Amero were nursing numerous bruises, cuts and a black eye.

_To be continued…_

Author's Notes: BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

BTW…what's with all the Daniel hate all of a sudden?

BBTW I just wanted to let all of you know that I am heading home for a month. No, this does not mean that you won't be getting any new updates for a month, but it will mean that I may not be able to keep up with my normal speed of updates. If I can do one new chapter per day, I will though.

To gohan11: I make up a lot of the cards. No, I will not bother listing them. I just don't have the time.

To falcon demon general: (Rikuo: ::In a full body cast:: Aww…I fight you another time, pigeon.

To Bobbomp: You're entitled to your opinion. Of course…I'm still allowed to declare your opinion wrong and mean!

To Anime Albino: TT Do you really think Daniel is that bad of a duelist?

To Sage Fire Ace: Thank you for the submission. I'll use it if I can.

To Seeker of the Soul: Duct tape can hold anything and everything.


	26. The Seal of Lumina

1Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 26:The Seal of Lumina

Ichigo woke up screaming...

Griff stared at him from his seat at his desk. "What's the matter with you?"

From in his bed, the half-demon shivered a couple of times and curled up into a ball under his covers. "I had this horrible dream that Eri's parents and my parents had decided that we should go to this mixer party on Friday."

"That really happened." Griff laid back in his chair. "They did decide that you two should go and do that, remember?"

".........." Ichigo slowly slid out of bed and wandered into the bathroom.

All of Osiris Red heard his screams for the next few minutes.

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Erika Amero refused to let herself be coerced into such a stupid idea. ("There is no way in the nine levels of the abyss that I am going to go to a stupid party. Much less are the chances that I'm going to go to it with the likes of Ichigo Pilkington.") Snarling, the demoness practically destroyed the punching bag in front of her, forgetting that she wasn't supposed to use her claws against it. Not that anyone in the girl's gym who was watching her would have told her otherwise. They would prefer to live.

("I don't have to say yes! After all, I'm sure mother would understand why I don't want to be fraternizing with hanyou, instead of perfecting my dueling skills so that I can uphold the honor of my family.") No matter how hard Eri tried though, she just couldn't find the will to simply go and call her mother to tell her. ("Why is this so hard!?") Letting out a feral growl, she literally gutted the bag, spilling its sandy contents to the ground at her feet. ("Why can't I simply say no!?")

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"Furthermore, how can I possibly go to a party in the middle of the night!?" Ichigo nearly screamed in Daniel's face. "Or have you forgotten that moonlight turns me into a girl?"

"I didn't forget," Daniel muttered quietly. How could he forget that for an indefinite amount of time he was going to have a son and a daughter in the same being?

"Then I'm sure you understand why I can't do it, right?" Ichigo started pacing around the room, attempting to ignore the slightly amused expression on his father's face. Finally he couldn't take it anymore though, and he spun around to frown at Daniel. "Is something about this dilemma of mine amusing to you, dad? Not only am I stuck in a situation where I really can't back out of this, but I'm also getting hooked up with a girl more likely to rip my eyes out than to have to be within speaking distance of me!"

Daniel chuckled and sat back against the chair of his office. "I'm laughing because I personally think that the reason you don't want to do this is that you wish to keep Erika in that same stereotype for as long as you know her."

"What?" Ichigo's mental rant came to a halt. "Are you saying that..."

He was cut off before he could get into another rant. "Allow me to put it like this. Have you noticed anything particular about Rikuo that seemed strange to you?"

Taken aback at the off-subject question, Ichigo thought back on the behavior's of the father of his apparent worst enemy. "Well....not really...he just seems like a male version of his daughter."

"Exactly right..." Daniel smirked as he drove his point home. "Did I ever tell you what my relationship to Rikuo was?"

"I just assume that you two are really good friends." Ichigo tilted his head to the side quizzically, trying to figure out where his dad was going with this.

"Rikuo Amero and I shared the same body for about four months. In that time I learned a lot about the mindset of demons from the Feudal Era of Japan." Spinning in his chair, Daniel winked to his son. "Now keep in mind that from what I have learned about Eri's parents, they both were from a similar age and culture. Her mindset is so honor-based that she probably knows nothing of anything but honor, warfare, and glory. So with a bit of guidance, I bet you could show her a whole new world of living, where you don't have to be a blood-thirsty warrior to be considered strong." Bowing his head slightly, Daniel put a pleading tone in his voice. "I'm asking you, man to man, if you could please put your personal feelings aside on this matter and take Eri to this party. Please show her the error of her ways!"

"Are you finished trying to be the wise father figure?" Ichigo crossed his arms across his chest. "Because I doubt you're doing this to try and gets points in the 'cheesy acting' section of our pageant."

Grinning, Daniel threw his feet up onto his desk. "You can't blame a guy for trying, can you?"

"Actually I can, because you just had to give me a date with Eri..." Ichigo slid a card out of his deck box and flicked it across the distance between him and Daniel.

Catching the piece of cardboard with ease, the half wolf-demon glanced at it. "Blessings of Luna..." He frowned. "That's true...we will have a problem with the whole 'you turning into a girl thing'. Hmmm...." Tapping his chin with a nail, Daniel considered what methods were available to them that would fix this. "Well....since it's technically not a boy/girl kind of party, you can just go there as friends."

Ichigo face-fell. From his new position on the floor he sighed out, "Do you even understand what my dilemma is? For those people who still believe that the Blessings of Luna is a hologram, won't it seem, oh...impossible that I am in my girl form when not in a duel!?"

"Oh yeah...that might be a problem." Flicking the card over the edge of the desk and down to his son, Daniel looked up at the ceiling. "Well...um...OH!" Snapping his fingers, the half wolf-demon picked up his phone and pressed a number on speed-dial. Placing the receiver up against his ear, he waited a few seconds before saying, "Hello there Headmaster. I had a great idea for the theme of this year's mixer party. Now from what you told me, Kaiba Corporation spares no expense to make sure that its parties are top-of-the-line and classy, right? Well then why not have a masquerade?" Listening to a few comments on the other line, Daniel smirked at his own ingeniousness. "That's right...it's such a good idea because that way nobody will be able to tell the difference between the dorm members. Just think of all the progress that could be made in fixing this whole 'looked down upon' problem of yours." Nodding more to himself than to anyone else, the half wolf-demon grinned and placed the receiver back on the phone. "Now if you play your cards right, no one will even know you are who you are. I have a few tricks I've learned over the years that will help you conceal your ears from noticeable sight."

Growling, Ichigo slowly lifted another nearby chair just a little higher. "Let me express my feelings for this little development!" He slammed the piece of furniture down on Daniel's skull.

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"I'm begging you Erika! Please!!!"

"I said no and I mean no!"

Anyone who would have walked into the dorm room of Eri at the moment would have been treated to a very unusual and bizarre sight.

Rikuo Amero groveling. "Princess, please do this one favor for me! I won't ask anything else of you for as long as I can! You know how your mother gets when she doesn't get her way...and you understand what kinds of trouble she can cause! For the sake of the world's personal possessions, please just go to that party!"

Eri narrowed her eyes coldly at her currently prostrated father. "At the moment I am very angry with you daddy, and as much as I love you I can't allow you and mother to think that you can control my life like this! So no chance!"

At incredible speed, Rikuo was standing. "Now you listen here! If it was my choice, you'd never even be near any other boys until you were at least a hundred! Unfortunately, your mother says that it would be best for you to live your life as a normal teenager, and that you're going to need to socialize."

"I'll socialize with who I want and when I want!" Spinning around, the demoness stomped out of her room. "I'm going for a walk! If you dare to even attempt to follow me, then I will torture you in ways that will make whatever mother could do seem like nothing!" Slamming the door shut behind her, Eri could be heard growling until she finally reached the stairwell.

Sitting at the foot of his daughter's bed, Rikuo sighed wistfully and wiped a small tear out of his eye. "Ah...to be young and angry again."

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Ichigo sat back in his desk chair from within the safe confines of his room, slowly watching the sun dip out of sight. ("Why must I be tortured like this? I would have been fine with being your chosen warrior, Luna. Was it really necessary to give me this little stipulation!? It's like all of my current problems have been all because of you!")

The sun dipped just a little lower out of sight. All that was left of it was a single orange sliver of light.

Glancing back behind him, Ichigo mentally recounted where Griff and Krieger had each said they were going tonight. Both of them apparently were going to go get themselves fitted for suits for the mixer party tomorrow. ("They can be excited to go though...unlike my pitiful self. If I go then I risk exposing my secret to the whole school. Hell...a date with Eri might even...") Whatever line of thought that had been disappeared as the sun disappeared completely from the sky and the rays of the moon shone down on the half-demon.

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Thinking that maybe she could find some solace in the water of the ocean, Eri rented a boat from the docks and headed out a little into the bay that was located right outside the girl's dorm. ("Who knows, maybe I'll find something interesting to take my mind off of the fact that my life is going to hell.")

What she found definitely would have constituted as interesting.

_("This seal shall never be opened.") _The black-cloaked form ran its finger along the lines of the stone that was sticking out of the water. Hovering in the air though, it was having problems finding the concentration necessary to begin the full closing of the seal.

Then Eri saw it. ("Hmmm....guy in a black cloak floating on the water...Father always told me that people wearing black cloaks can be considered threats to society.") Cracking her knuckles, the demoness flexed her claws slightly and rowed just a little closer to the black-cloaked form. "Hey evil guy!"

Unlike its predecessors, this form knew that passerby could be considered to be interferences. Turning slowly, it saw Eri and immediately felt the traces of energy that flowed around her body. _("Little girl...be gone from this place. Forces are at work here that you cannot possibly understand.")_

Though she was surprised that the form had telepathy, it didn't show on Eri's face. "So you think I can't handle the forces of evil? How about I show you otherwise?" Black and purple mists began to flow around her form. "In fact...I challenge you to a darkness game!" Seconds later, they were encompassed in a darkness sphere.

Within the shadows of the darkness realm, the black-cloaked form took on a new appearance. For lack of a better term, it resembled a corpse. Unlike the animated corpses that these beings had summoned in the past though, it didn't seem dead. It was a paradox. Both alive and dead at the same time, it lifted its lips into a cold snicker. "Very well...you and I shall battle within the night. Understand this though, foolish wench." The darkness formed into a duel disk composed entirely of shadows around its arm. "I am an agent of the king of the darkness. Even if I lose, you will accomplish no more than send me home for a short amount of time."

Biting her lower lip, Eri made a mental note never to challenge black-cloaked strangers to darkness games if she didn't know anything about them. "Let's duel then! It isn't like you can possibly be a threat to me!"

"Au contraire, little girl. My power derives itself from the darkness. I will not lose." The specter slid five cards off of its deck. "And I am Titan, the duelist of darkness! Prepare to be consumed by the shadows!"

Eri picked her duel disk up and attached it to her arm. "Titan eh? Nothing titanic about you."

Eri- 4000

Titan- 4000

"As the one who was challenged, I go first." Titan drew. "Are you ready for the end? Because it is coming much sooner than you think. I summon Infernal Queen Archfiend (900/1400) in attack mode!" A hideous demon dressed as a queen appeared on his field. "I've always thought of a duel as a game of chess, eh? And as you know, the queen is one of the most powerful pieces in chess. So prepare yourself as I activate her special ability, darkness infusion!" Energy flowed from the demon's body into itself. (1900/1400)

"1900 attack!?" Eri couldn't believe that her opponent had summoned something so powerful first turn. ("Why am I panicking? It isn't like he is going to be able to defeat me with just one monster.")

"Once per turn, I may transfer this 1000 attack point bonus to one monster on my field." Titan slid two cards into his duel disk. "Then I set two cards face-down. End turn."

Eri drew. ("Why am I nervous? It isn't like darkness games are something that I am new to.") After all, she'd seen her father duel in darkness games before, and she'd also been in them before. "So...what's the stakes?"

"Ah yes...the stakes." Titan crossed his withered limbs across his decayed chest and laughed calmly. "The loser is banished into the darkness for all eternity."

Eri glanced at the drawn card, trying to ignore the fact that she was shaking now. ("I can't panic...so what if I lose...I am the darkness.") She wanted to believe that...but why was there so much doubt in her voice?

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Ichigo had gone out for a walk, deciding that she'd prefer to take in some air then to just sit around in her room and waste her time. She giggled at how peaceful it seemed tonight. Then she stopped in her tracks. ("Did I just giggle?")

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Unsuccessfully ignoring her suddenly labored breathing, the demoness slapped a card onto her disk. "You're not the only person with a monster that had 1900 attack points! I summon Death Calibre Knight (1900/1800) in attack mode!" An undead knight riding a black horse appeared on her field. "Also, I set two cards face-down. End turn!"

Drawing, Titan snickered darkly. "I see...so you play a deck that calls upon the darkness as well? Then let us see whose darkness is stronger, yours or mine." He placed a card onto his disk, and darkness flowed from the card onto to the field. "I summon forth the true king of the underworld!" The radiating darkness formed into a towering and regal looking demon with a sword in its hand. "Terrorking Archfiend (2000/1500) in attack mode!" The king monster roared and his red cape began to flutter on a purple and black wind. "And then I use the power of my Queen to raise its attack points by 1000!" (3000/1500)

Eri frowned unhappily at the sight of a monster so powerful. ("Damn...he's got such a powerful...Wait!") "You're cheating!"

"Eh? How so?" Titan seemed horribly amused by the fear he could sense in Eri's voice.

"Archfiends require that you pay life point amounts every one of your standby phases!" Eri managed to put a superior smile on her face, though honestly there was sweat dripping down her face from her fear at the sight of the Terrorking.

"Ah yes...the life point payments." The Queen slowly turned around and sucked darkness from off of its master. "Well then, I'll make sure you pay for it instead of me!"

"What!?" Eri felt something pulling at her life force, and for a few seconds she was out of breath. Then air returned to her lungs and she collapsed to her knees, panting loudly. "What...did...you...do!?"

Titan motioned to one of his two set cards, which was face-up. "My continuous trap card gives me a special ability that will make you meet your end. It's known simply as Life Drain. When it is activated, I select one word. Any life point payments that I have to make for an effect with that name are instead forced upon you!"

Eri- 3300

Titan- 4000

"And now I'll wipe out your life points with my monsters! Terrorking Archfiend, attack Death Calibre Knight with Horde of Despair!" Snarling loudly, the demon's rib-cage exploded open and sprayed out a wave of demonic locusts that swarmed across the field to destroy Eri's monster.

"You made one huge mistake by attacking when I had face-down cards! And now I reveal one of my two set cards which is called Blackest Soul! This will only work if we both have demon sub-type monsters on our field. It will allow me to switch the attack of our two monsters, meaning that you are about to lose your king and a huge portion of your life points!" The demoness felt a momentary flare of hope. Maybe this guy wasn't as powerful as he seemed.

Laughing loudly, Titan motioned to a space in front of his Terrorking. "You've fallen into my trap! I activate the effect of Terrorking Archfiend!" Six differently colored spheres with the numbers one through six appeared on his field in a circle. A flame lit up along the one. "Now one number will be chosen. If it is a two or a five, then your target effect will be negated and destroyed!" The fire started to arc from sphere to sphere, until it stopped on the four sphere.

"HA!" Eri felt even better now. "Perhaps you should have not relied on luck to win your duels for you."

"Oh yes...well actually...luck plays no part in this." Titan's other card flipped up. "I activate the continuous trap card Number Game! Now whenever I must use a random number effect, it will become whatever I want. So..." The flame leapt across to the five sphere. "That means your trap card is destroyed and negated!"

Eri watched in mute horror as the swarm of demon locusts tore her Death Calibre Knight apart.

Eri- 2200

Titan- 4000

Titan laughed even louder. "And now my Infernalqueen Archfiend attacks your life points directly!" The Queen started to advance forwards...

Eri looked at her set card, remembering that all of the Archfiends had that number effect. And since Titan's trap card meant that he'd always get the correct random number for his negation effect, flipping up her trap card would be a waste of time. ("Damn it...") Throwing up her arms, Eri felt the claws of the queen demon dig into her flesh.

Eri- 1300

Titan- 4000

"Then I set three cards face-down. End turn." Titan sounded almost bored with the duel. It was as if he knew that there was nothing Eri could do against him now that he had his warped luck combo on the field.

Drawing, Eri tried to control the fear rising in her chest. No matter how hard she tried though, it just wouldn't go away.

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Ichigo looked out from the lake-side and saw the darkness sphere at the center of it. ("A darkness game in the middle of the water? Wait....a darkness game!?") Whatever was going on out there, she had a sinking feeling that she should go and investigate.

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"I will not let you frighten me! You are nothing more than a shapeless pile of ectoplasm!" Eri found her footing on the row-boat, and then prepared to continue the battle.

Until Titan held up one withered hand. "If you haven't noticed, you will lose this duel at the beginning of my next turn."

Narrowing her eyes, Eri understood what he meant when she saw the Life Drain continuous trap card. "No..."

"Yes." Titan swept his hand across the field. "Terrorking Archfiend requires that I pay 800 life points every turn. And Infernalqueen Archfiend requires 700 life points every turn. To put it bluntly, you're far out of your league, wench."

"Out of my league!?" Anger overrode any fear that Eri felt at the moment. "I fear no one!" She slammed a card into his disk. "I activate the Sword that Seals the Dead! This will seal away your Terrorking Archfiend until a monster on your field is destroyed!"

"Are you sure?" Titan motioned to the wheel of colored spheres, and where the fire had frozen in place around the number five sphere. "I activate the effect of Terrorking Archfiend! Target Effect Negation!" Eri's magic card exploded into particles of light. "Stupid fool...are you that forgetful?"

Growling at the amateur mistake she had just made, Eri fanned out the remaining four cards in her hand. ("What can I do? Perhaps this might offer me something...") "I play the magic card Pot of Greed! This allows me to draw two cards from my deck!" Her hand snapped across the top of her deck....

Titan motioned to one of his face-down cards. "I activate the trap card Atrocities of Greed! This will negate one effect on your field that lets you draw cards from your hand, and instead I can draw those cards!" The specter slid two cards from his deck. "Are you ready to submit yet?"

"NEVER!" Eri slammed another card into her disk. "I play Monster Reborn to revive Death Calbre Knight!"

Rumbling laughter exploded from Titan's mouth. "I activate the trap card Call of the Dark! This will negate the activation of Monster Reborn!" Another of his two remaining face-down cards flipped up and released a wave of dark energy that blew Eri's magic card apart.

("No….") Falling to her knees, Eri couldn't believe that he was countering all of her moves so easily. And it was only the second turn for her. ("All I have is my face-down card and this one remaining card in my hand.") She looked down at the wood of the row-boat tearfully. ("Damn him…this cannot be the end of me! I will not let someone…anyone defeat me!")

The seal, which had been left alone, crumbled into dust.

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"This would be a lot easier if I wasn't so damned…small!" Ichigo knew it was bad to dwell on reasons why she hated being a girl, but there wasn't much helping it. Even though 'borrowing' the boat from the docks had been easy, rowing it without the normal amount of muscles she was used to be definitely a problem. ("Stupid boat…stupid Luna…stupid darkness games!")

Then she felt it. It was like someone had turned on a light switch inside her heart. "What's that?" Bringing the boat a bit closer to the darkness sphere, she could have sworn that she could see something within the swirling mists. It was like a force from inside the sphere was thinning the dimension right before her eyes.

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Titan stumbled backwards, trying to protect his face from the stinging light that filled the sphere. All around him, the very darkness itself quivered in pain at the golden light that had erupted from Eri's single hand card. "What…what is this!?" His eyes traveled down to the water below him, and he saw the dust where the seal had been. "NO!"

Eri felt her fear evaporate, and with that evaporation came strength. Slowly coming to her feet, she glanced at the card in front of her that was giving off so much light. "This is….not one of my cards." Noticing the way Titan and the darkness was reacting to it, she realized she didn't care. "What's the matter? Don't like the light?" Looking at the text of the card, her lips curled into a smirk. "Hmmm….very impressive indeed! First I reveal my face-down trap card, Dead Dragon Zoma!" The set card flipped up and from within it a living corpse of a dragon appeared. "This trap card turns into a monster when I activate it! Its name is Dead Dragon Zoma (1800/500) and with its help I can finish this right now!"

"What are you talking about!?" Titan sounded frustrated, and frightened. "The darkness cannot be defeated!"

"We'll just see about that! I activate the magic card Sword of Lumina!" Snapping the light-producing card around, Eri seemed unaffected by the near sunburst of power that filled the sphere. "This magic card will destroy all monsters on the field with an effect that is treated as an attack. That attack amount is decided by the number of dark monsters on the field times 1000! Since that makes three, all monsters on the field will now be attacked for 3000 points of damage!" A glowing sword made entirely of light appeared on the field. In one slash it created a wave of energy that annihilated all monsters on the field with a 3000 point blast of power.

Eri- 1300

Titan- 1900

Unable to resist the backlash of energy that struck him from the sword attack, Titan fell to one knee, with black smoke coming off of his body. "This cannot be possible. I am the darkness…"

Smirking, Eri motioned to the remains of her Dead Dragon Zoma. "When I special summoned Zoma to the field in defense mode, I sealed your fate. Now Zoma's special ability activates now!" The pieces of the dragon corpse dissipated into white ectoplasm that formed right in front of her. "So let me see…you currently have 1900 life points remaining. The special ability of Dead Dragon Zoma lets me deal the attack of whatever destroyed it in damage to your life points. And last I checked, 3000 was more than 1900!" The demoness lifted her hand to point at Titan. "Zoma…destroy!" The ectoplasm shot forward and blew a hole in the corpse's chest. With one last cry of pain, he faded away.

Eri- 1300

Titan- 0

Eri felt tired…and heavy. "But at least…I didn't lose." She collapsed into her boat, too tired to do much more than slip into sleep.

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Ichigo gasped in surprise as the darkness sphere faded away to reveal a single rowboat. ("Where the other guy's boat?") Rowing alongside the lone craft, she glanced inside and felt her heart leap into her throat. "What in the heck!?" Reaching down, she plucked up a single card that was sitting on one of the two seating boards on the boat. "The Sword of Lumina?"

One look at the passenger of boat confirmed her suspicions of what had happened.

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Eri awoke to the sounds of churning water and grunts of exertion. ("Where…am I?")

"I see you're awake. Are you okay? If you didn't know, what you were just in was extremely dangerous." The voice that reached Eri's ears was melodious and of a pitch that Eri never would have thought to hear again.

"Silence yourself Pilkington, before I crush your voice box and do the whole world a favor." Eri sat up and looked around, seeing how they were approaching the docks.

Ichigo turned three different shades of pale. "P…Pilkington!? You must be mistaking me for someone else!" She started laughing nervously.

Eri shot her a strange look. "What are you trying to pull? I know all too well about the Blessings of Luna and their 'hologram' effect. But since you're not even wearing a duel disk, then my suspicions that you were lying has been confirmed." Eri smirked superiorly. "I knew that you had to cheat and use magic to beat me in our battle."

"Our…battle?" Ichigo blinked in confusion. "What battle? When did we duel?"

"We dueled three days ago, you incompetent twit! And at that time, you cheated by using magic to defeat me!" Snickering, Eri knew that the upper hand had changed sides. "Erika Amero never loses a fair fight, and that fight wasn't fair!"

Ichigo's jaw had dropped. "ERI!?" A few seconds later, she passed out.

Staring at the strange behavior of Ichigo, Eri looked over into the moon-lit water to see what was so weird.

The sight that greeted her in the water was so unexpected that Eri had to rub golden eyes a few times to make sure that the water wasn't playing tricks. The features illuminated in the water were definitely not those of Erika Amero…but they were so similar that….

Eri's eyes bugged out as his brain caught up to current events. ("…I'm…a…guy…") He passed out right alongside Ichigo.

From the shoreline, another black-cloaked form faded into the night. It had to tell Master Pytious that four of the seals were open now.

_To be continued…_

Author's Notes: No review responses this time. I'll get to them in my next chapter. I'm trying to get settled back at my home at the moment, so please excuse the lateness of this and following (possibly) chapters.


	27. Coming to terms

1Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 27: Coming to terms; The Crusader

Daniel rubbed at his eyelids a couple of times, swearing that he could hear someone tapping on his window. Opening his eyes just a crack, the half wolf-demon glanced at his clock and groaned. ("It's one in the morning.")

Rolling over, he yawned and looked out at the window. Because his eyes were still needing time to get back into focus, all he could really see was a distinctly female form. ("Either Eri or Ichigo...I'm guessing Ichigo, since Eri wouldn't be caught dead trying to get into anyone's room through the window.")

Ichigo waited patiently for her dad to wake up completely. ("I need his help, but rushing him won't get me anywhere.") Trying to ignore how strange that line of thinking was to the normally more action-oriented half-demon, Ichigo sat on her haunches.

A couple of minutes later, Daniel opened the window and yawned again. "All I have to say is that this had best be important."

Already having an explanation memorized in her skull, Ichigo nodded. "Trust me dad...it's too important to wait."

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Less than an hour later, both Daniel and Ichigo were sitting next to each other on top of the faculty dorm's roof.

"So what you are telling me is that another of those weird cards has appeared?" Daniel was more afraid of Rikuo's reaction to telling him that now he has a son instead of the fact that Eri was now a boy.

"Yeah...it's pretty crazy too. Eri is currently hiding out in my room, because she says that she doesn't want Ashley or Sammy to see her like she is now." Ichigo sighed tiredly. When was this madness going to end?

"This is a pretty big problem." Rubbing his chin, Daniel paled at a sudden thought. "Hey, Eri's not going to tell Rikuo, is she?"

Ichigo shook her head. "No chance would she...er he dare tell his darling father such a thing. I think he fears the destruction his father would cause after hearing such news."

"I completely agree there..." Daniel patted his child on the shoulder. "Ichigo, you should go to bed now. Believe me, tomorrow is going to be a big day."

Nodding meekly, the half-demon kissed her father on the cheek and then bounded off of the roof of the building and into the night.

Daniel rubbed his cheek confusedly. ("I think the whole turning into a girl thing is starting to screw with Ichigo's mental outlook.") He considered contacting Ryu again and trying to figure out some kind of a temporary solution to this problem, but when his eyelids started to droop he remembered that unlike a full demon sleep was necessary in his health. ("I'll dwell on this madness tomorrow.")

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Griff yawned and rolled out of bed slowly. With uncharacteristic gracefulness he managed to land on his feet this time, instead of how he would normally face-plant. Rubbing his eyes a couple of times, the Egyptian boy poked Ichigo and Krieger. "Wakey wakey you two."

"Touch me again and you'll be wearing your intestines as a turban," muttered Eri, curling into the covers of Ichigo's bed.

Blinking a few times before the situation sank in, Griff shivered at the sudden feeling of doom that washed over him. "What....are you doing here, Eri?"

Growling quietly at the fact that she couldn't sleep until she answered that, the demoness curled into a slightly tighter ball and yawned out, "My reasons are my own, and if you continue to question them then I cannot be held responsible for the consequences."

"Oooookay." Griff looked around the otherwise empty room. "Well where is Ichigo?"

"What if I told you that I had killed him and burned the body?"

"I wouldn't believe you," Griff dead-panned.

"Such a shame that you aren't as easy to frighten as other humans, Mohistava. Pilkington is sleeping on the roof. Now go away before I decide to carry out my threat." The pile of covers that concealed the demoness shifted slightly, then went still.

Shaking off the chills that ran up his spine from the angry tone in Eri's voice, the bronze-skinned duelist opened his window and poked his head out of the opening. "Ichigo?"

"Yeah...I'm coming!" Muttering unhappily at the fact that Eri had somehow managed to make him sleep on the roof, the half-demon dropped down onto the windowsill with a blanket draped over one shoulder and a pillow over the other. His hair was an absolute mess, and he looked like something that the cat had drug in, spat on, and then rolled all over.

"Wow...you look horrible." Griff stepped aside and allowed the disheveled mass of half-demon in. "Come on in and stay awhile."

Giving his roommate a cold glare, Ichigo walked into their room and stomped into the bathroom.

Krieger yawned and rolled off of his bed, landing silently on his feet. "Why is Ichigo sleeping on the roof?"

"Because I said he had to." Eri growled angrily and retreated further into her pile of blankets.

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Ichigo sighed tiredly and banged his head against his desk.

"If you keep that up, you're going to give yourself a concussion." Griff whispered to his roommate after making sure that the teacher wasn't looking at them.

"I can't help it...I'm so tired," Ichigo grumbled. He'd been unable to sleep for most of the night, and the worst part of all of it was that after they'd left Eri alone in the room so that she could use the shower, the girl had just left out the window without saying thank you or anything of the sort. ("Ungrateful little....grrrrrr....")

The teacher, a dark-skinned man with a distinctly African accent, seemed ecstatic about something. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Beginner's Dueling course, I'd like to present to you one of the two most powerful duelists in this entire school. Out of the upper-class Obelisk Blue students, this young man has proven himself to be one of the most powerful and skilled there is. Because of his amazing talents, he is known simply as 'Crusader'."

With every passing sentence, Ichigo felt like someone was breathing life into his body. ("A great duelist....I...have...to...duel...him!")

"And without further ado, I present to you....Crusader!" The teacher stepped aside to give center 'stage' to the arriving duelist.

The young man that walked into the room from the ground level doors looked to be about seventeen or so. His light brown skin seemed to radiate a strength that was easily noticeable to anyone who was a duelist, showing that his skills had to at least be suitable of his title. Smiling slightly, he ran his hands through his straight shoulder-length black hair and then tugged on the edges of his blue custom-made leather jacket. His eyes, one golden and one dark brown, scanned over the group of mostly Osiris Red and Ra Yellow students. "That's me...I'm Crusader."

Griff shivered in complete awe. "That's the number two duelist in the whole academy. It's amazing that he even had time in his schedule to come in to this class."

Ichigo smirked calmly, all of his previous exhaustion gone. "Yeah...being number two under my shadow must force him to train constantly." Though the half-demon wasn't sure why, he could swear he had met this guy before. ("One year older than me...")

Tilting his head back, Ichigo took in a sniff of the air. "He's a....half-demon like me?" After a quick inspection of this guy, he saw that Crusader was favoring keeping his hands in his pockets, and on top of his head, his hair seemed slightly extra messy. ("Just messy enough to keep ears hidden in.")

Crusader paced around the front of the classroom slowly, eyes roaming over the class. "I'd like someone to duel me. I really don't care who it is, but keep in mind that whoever I duel is going to be treated as the average for all of you. So make sure that he or she is good."

A common consensus echoed from everyone in the classroom. "Blue Osiris."

Grinning, Ichigo had just found a way to get his mind off of the problem with Eri and the dance. Sliding his duel disk onto his arm, the half-demon walked down the steps and to the front of the room, the device already on and his deck already shuffled. "Alright Crusader, let's get this going."

Happy to meet a duelist willing to play with him, the slightly taller boy turned on his duel disk. "Please, there's no need to call me by my title. You can just call by my real name, Kenshin Anderson."

Ichigo- 4000

Kenshin- 4000

"Anderson?" Ichigo smirked and drew. "Heh...that sounds familiar for some reason. Oh, my name is Ichigo Pilkington by the way."

Kenshin blinked in true surprise, losing that cool edge that he had just a moment ago. "Pilkington?" He grinned and drew his five. ("No way...so this is Ichigo? He's grown up pretty well.") Though the boy thought about bringing up the relationship between their two fathers, he decided that they'd finish this duel first. "Since you've already drawn, go ahead and make the first move."

Ichigo looked at his cards, and then grabbed the sixth one and flipped it over. "I begin with the magic card Pot of Greed, letting me draw two cards!" With a bit more flourish than normal, he snapped two cards off of his deck. ("I'm not sure why, but I feel like I should be making a big presentation of this duel.") "I summon Cyber Shadow-Guardian (0/2200) in defense mode and set one card face-down! End turn!" A silver-colored robot appeared on the field in a crouching position, with a glowing barrier of prismatic light around it. Behind it, a brown-backed card hologram appeared face-down.

"Then now it's time for my deck to reveal its strength!" Kenshin drew, glanced at the drawn card, and then slapped it onto his disk. "I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight (1800/1600) in attack mode!" A black-armored knight appeared on his field. "And then I set two cards face-down on my field." Two cards shimmered into existence behind the knight. "End turn!"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes slightly at Gearfried. ("A warrior deck? What's so special about that?") He drew silently, suddenly feeling very nervous. ("Yet...why is he looking so confident?") Strengthening his mental resolve, the half-demon knew that it was going to take all of his skills to win this duel. ("There's more to this guys strategy than just warriors, I know it!")

From across the front of the classroom, Kenshin narrowed his eyes as well. ("Ichigo Pilkington...from what my father has told me, you possess skills like those of your father. So prove it. Defeat the strategy of the Crusader!")

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eri, for one of the few times in her life, sat silently on her bed in meditation. ("I am a girl...and what happened last night was a dream. I was stressed from the fact that I probably am going to have to go to that stupid party. It was a dream.")

She'd never feared the darkness before, but this...it was too much. ("The night...I am the mistress of it...and I will not allow some silly dream to affect my outlook.")

The door opened and Ashley poked her head in. "There you are Eri-san. I was wondering where you'd gone off to. We need to get you fitted for your dress for the party tonight."

"I'm not going in any dress." Eyes still closed, the demoness barely moved from her cross-legged position. "It's bad enough that I have to go to this party. I will get dressed up to look nice for the likes of that hanyou." Thinking the matter over and done with, Eri slipped back into meditation.

"But your mother said that she was coming this evening, and..."

Groaning quietly, Eri climbed off of her bed. "Very well...I'll wear the damned thing!" If there was one way to make Eri do something, it was to have her mother behind it. ("The things I put up with.")

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I play the magic card Tiny Pound Hammer! This allows me to shuffle itself and any number of cards in my hand into my deck. Then I draw an equal number of cards from my deck to replace them!" Taking two cards from his hand, he shuffled them and his magic card back into his deck. "Then I draw." Sliding three new cards from his deck, Ichigo looked at them. ("Urk!")

Griff groaned and put his head in his hands as he saw Ichigo's hair start to lighten. ("He drew the Blessings of Luna; this could put a damper on things.")

Trying to ignore the shivers in his spine, Ichigo slid two cards into his disk. "I set two cards face-down on my field, and then I go on the attack!"

("CRAP!") Griff knew that his roommate's sudden brash action must have been from a desire to end this duel before the Blessings of Luna turned him into a girl.

Kenshin closed his eyes, and seemed deep in thought.

"I summon Cyber Shadow-Strongarm (1900/1300) in attack mode!" A burly black-body suited warrior appeared on his field. "Attack Gearfried now!" Roaring out a battle cry, the behemoth of a monster charged towards the knight with its arms outstretched to bear-hug Kenshin's monster into death.

Opening his eyes slowly, Kenshin tapped a button on his disk. "Big mistake, friend. I activate my face-down trap card Knights of the Round."

Throwing its arms up to defend itself, Gearfried let out a single grunt of pain as it was punched in half.

Ichigo- 4000

Kenshin- 3900

Ichigo frowned at the face-up trap card. "Why didn't it prevent your monster from being destroyed?"

Kenshin removed his deck from his disk and started rifling through it, pulling out cards and placing them onto his disk. "Because like all knights, when one falls his comrades come to his defense. By destroying Gearfried the Iron Knight, you've insured your defeat. When a monster with 'Knight' in its title is destroyed as a result of battle, I may special summon three more monsters with the word 'Knight' in their name to my field. All it costs me is half of my life points!"

Ichigo- 4000

Kenshin- 1950

Gritting his teeth, Ichigo realized just how foolish of a mistake he had made. ("Now he gets three new monsters, and I've attacked already.")

Motioning to his field, Kenshin pointed at each of his new monsters as they came into existence. "I summon Command Knight, (1200/1900) Blade Knight (1600/1000) and Axe Knight!" (1700/1150) The first monster looked like a woman in commander's garb, the second was a silver-armored knight with a curved sword in one hand, and the third was a solid-looking knight with a huge battle axe over one shoulder. "Thanks to the effect of Command Knight, all warrior monsters on my field gain 400 attack points!" Drawing her sword, the command knight yelled out a battle cry. (1600/1900) (2000/1000) (2100/1150)

Trying to the ignore the now steadily increasing pulse of energy from the Blessings of Luna, Ichigo struggled to remind himself that he had three face-down cards to deal with this problem. "End turn."

"So far, you've just made things too easy. Perhaps I can get something of a satisfactory challenge now that I can back you into a corner." Kenshin drew. "First I play my Pot of Greed, letting me draw two cards." Adding two more cards to his hand gave him five again. "I summon Dark Blade (1800/1500) in attack mode!" A dark-armored warrior wielding a pair of wickedly curved swords appeared on the field. "And thanks to the effect of Command Knight, he gains 400 attack points!" (2200/1500)

Griff gulped and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. "This is insane...it's only the second turn and this guy already has enough monsters on the field to wipe Ichigo out."

"Dark Blade, attack Strongarm!" The dark warrior charged forwards, bringing its sword mere inches from the burly fighter's face. Then its weapon clanged against a glowing blue barrier of light.

"You triggered my trap card," Ichigo said simply. "Now Mirror Force will destroy all monsters on your field that are in attack mode, as well as negate your attack."

"Are you sure?" Kenshin's leather jacket creaked as his hand flew over and tapped a button on his disk. "My Knight's Focus trap card says otherwise. It activates when a card effect targets more than one monster on my field with the word 'Knight' in its title. I discard one monster card from my hand to negate the effect, and you must also discard one card from your hand." Emotionlessly, he slid a card from his hand into his disk's graveyard slot, while Ichigo's Mirror Force shattered into nothingness.

The blade fell and slashed Strongarm apart.

Ichigo- 3700

Kenshin- 1950

Kenshin smirked slightly and slid the three cards in his hand into his duel disk. "I set three cards face-down on my field. End turn."

("If my monster had been anything other than Guardian, I'd be toast right now.") Ichigo drew, sighing in relief at the sight of the card. "I play the continuous magic card Cyber Shadow Mainframe!" A holographic version of the card appeared face-up on the field. "As long as this magic card is in play, all Cyber Shadow monsters on my field gain 1000 defense points!" The force-field around the Cyber Shadow-Guardian increased in size. (0/3200) "End turn."

"You can't hope to hold defense against me forever, can you?" Kenshin drew. "Because I'm far too powerful for that. I set one card face-down on my field, and then I flip up one of my set cards!" A golden light shimmered around the Blade Knight. "My Pure Soul equipment magic card raises Blade Knight's attack points by 1000 points. Also, now it cannot be destroyed in battle." (3400/1000)

"Wait a second! Your monster had 2000 attack points before it gained 1000! How does it have 3400 attack points!?" Ichigo felt his best hopes of defense fade away in that single play.

"It's very simple. The special ability of Blade Knight is that if I have only one or less cards in my hand, then he gains 400 attack points. Now then...Blade Knight will attack Cyber Shadow-Guardian!" The warrior launched across the field, curved blade raised to cut through Ichigo's defender.

"Reverse card open!" Ichigo motioned to his set card, which flipped and sprayed out a web of laser beams that criss-crossed the area between their two monsters. "My continuous trap card Defense Network will only work when I have a machine sub-type Cyber Shadow on the field. I can now discard one card from my hand to destroy one attacking monster on your field!"

"Wrong again!" Kenshin motioned to another of his face-down cards. "I flip up my Dust Tornado trap card, which will destroy your Defense Network before its effect can activate!" A swirling blast of wind shot out of his set card and blew the lasers apart. "Blade Knight, finish off his last defense!" In one slash from Kenshin's Blade Knight, Ichigo had no monsters left. "This is the end for you! Dark Blade, direct attack on his life points!"

("I have only one chance left!") "Not so fast Kenshin, I activate my set trap card! Go A Hero Emerges!" The half-demon's last set card activated. "This trap card activates when you declare an attack! Now you select one card in my hand, and if it is a monster it will be special summoned to my field in the mode of my choice!" Fanning out the two cards he had, Ichigo closed his eyes and prayed for a miracle. ("He'll either pick Blessings of Luna or my monster...please be my monster!")

"What will that accomplish? I doubt you have anything that could be of assistance to you. I'll pick the card on your left." Kenshin motioned to his Dark Blade. "Continue your attack!" Nodding, the warrior charged forwards. Right before the armored knight could reach Ichigo, a blob of white goo with a smiley face on its front appeared on the field and was slashed apart. Moments later, the blob pulled itself back into a whole. "What the heck?"

"You've attacked the unkillable monster known as Marshmallon!" (300/500) Ichigo took a few seconds to stop the rapid beating of his heart before he explained. "Marshmallon's special ability allows it to reform every time it is destroyed in battle. That means that it cannot be destroyed. So now it's my turn!" The half-demon snapped a card off of his deck, trying to ignore the constant pulse of energy from the Blessings of Luna card. ("Stop trying to change me...") A lock of gold hair fell into his eyes. ("ARGH!!!")

Kenshin raised an eyebrow in concern. "Umm...you know that you are turning blond, right?"

"I know!" Ichigo slammed the drawn card into his disk. "I set one card face-down and end my turn! Now pay no mind to what you see!"

"Errr....right." Kenshin drew. "Since I can't destroy your little puff-ball, I'll end my turn."

Ichigo drew. "Then that means my plan it working perfectly!"

"You had a plan?" Kenshin sounded completely surprised.

Ichigo face-fell.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eri stomped back into her room and crashed onto her bed. "I hate dresses!"

Ashley poked her head in, concern etched onto her face. "Are you sure that you don't want it fitted? If you don't, then the whole thing is going to be a little bit loose on you."

"I DON'T CARE!" The demoness screamed.

Understanding that discretion was the better part of valor, Ashley made a prompt retreat before Eri started killing things.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Recovering quickly from his face-fall, Ichigo looked at the drawn card and sighed. "End turn."

Kenshin drew. "You're relying on defense again. It's a sign of weakness to have to rely on one paltry defense." Glancing at the card he drew, a sigh escaped his lips. "Unfortunately, at the moment it's a pretty good defense. End turn."

Ichigo drew. "End turn."

Kenshin drew. "End turn."

Ichigo drew. "End turn."

Kenshin drew. "End turn."

Griff rolled his eyes and rested his chin on the desktop. "This is ridiculous. Would someone please just play something now?"

Sparing a few seconds to glare at his roommate angrily, Ichigo slid the top card off of his deck. One quick glance at it told him all he needed to know. "How about we heat this duel up? I activate the field magic card Fusion Gate!" The entire field lit up with green light for a few seconds. "Now both of us can fuse monsters from our hands and fields together without the need of Polymerization. So I'll fuse Cyber Shadow-Blademaster (2000/1600) and Cyber Shadow-Soldier (1600/1600) together to create Cyber Shadow-Claymore!" (2500/2000) A towering humanoid monster in a black body-suit and with a blade bigger than both of its arms combined strapped to its back appeared on the field. "Claymore, attack the Dark Blade!" Removing the sword from its back, the humanoid charged forwards and slammed the thick sword blade down onto the Dark Blade, instantly destroying it.

Ichigo- 3700

Kenshin- 1650

Though he knew that there was still the Blade Knight to deal with, Ichigo had to rely on his face-down card to protect him. "End turn."

Kenshin drew slowly, a cold smile on his face. "Are you setting yourself up to take damage? Was that your plan?" Without the slightest bit of hesitation, he slid his Axe-wielding Knight into the graveyard. "Now I sacrifice Axe-wielding Knight to summon Dimensional Knight (2200/1200) in attack mode." A knight wielding a laser lance and dressed in crystalline blue armor appeared on his field. "Now my Command Knight's special ability raises his attack points by 400!" (2600/1200)

Grimacing, Ichigo braced himself for an attack.

It never came though. "I set two cards face-down on the field and end my turn." Kenshin smiled coldly, showing that he had something planned. "And as soon as your turn starts I'll flip up the trap card Facing the Darkness. This card will force all monsters on the field into attack mode. Then it will raise the attack of all warriors on the field by 500 points permanently. All monsters that gained attack points from this total cannot switch modes anymore. And don't bother trying to switch Marshmallon into defense mode, because Facing the Darkness allows no monster to switch modes the turn it is activated."

Cyber Shadow-Claymore (3000/2000)

Command Knight

Blade Knight (3700/1000)

Dimensional Knight (3100/1200)

("He's got me...I'm done.") Ichigo knew that with his Marshmallon in attack mode that his life points were going to disappear, even with the help of Blessings of Luna. ("Unless I draw a good card right now.") Quietly drawing, the half-demon glanced at the card and nodded resolutely. "I activate Fusion Gate! Now I'll fuse Cyber Shadow-Assassin (1000/1000) with Cyber Shadow- Claymore to create Cyber Shadow-Lord of Knives!" (2800/2400) A black body-suited humanoid with knives all over him appeared on the field. "Now his special ability activates, allowing me to destroy one magic/trap card on the field and one monster as well! So I'll target your Pure Soul equipment magic card and Dimension Knight!" Pulling multiple knives out of thin air, the warrior threw all of them and pin cushioned both of Kenshin's two cards. "And now Lord of Knives will attack your Blade Knight!" Throwing two knives from out of nowhere, the warrior destroyed the Crusader's monster. "End turn."

Ichigo- 3700

Kenshin- 1550

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Rikuo yawned and scratched the back of the mass of black silk that he called hair. "Daniel...I love you like a brother, if not more so....but if this isn't important then I'm going to punch you right in the jaw. I intended to be on full alert tonight, and that means that for one of the few times in my life I was going to sleep for a full eight hours."

"Oh trust me Rikuo, this is pretty important. In fact...it's about Eri." Daniel had already memorized his explanation, but that didn't mean that this was going to be easy to say. ("It's a good thing that I'm the one telling him. I doubt he'll hurt me....badly.") Opening his mouth, the half wolf-demon started to speak.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kenshin drew. "I have to admit that move of yours falls into the realm of impressive. The only problem with it was the fact that I still have a monster in attack mode, and your Marshmallon is wide open to attack!" One glance at the card told him all he needed and wanted to know. "I set one card face-down and then I play the magic card Monster Reborn! Return to me, Dimensional Knight!" In an explosion of prismatic light, the crystalline-blue warrior from before returned to the field. "Now I attack Marshmallon with Dimensional Knight!"

"Just what I was waiting for!" Ichigo motioned to his face-down card, which flipped face-up. "Draining Shield will negate your monster's attack and give me a life point gain equal to..." His trap card shattered. "....nothing."

Smiling slightly, Kenshin motioned to the card he had set this turn, which was now face-up. "I activated my set Remove Trap magic card, which negated your trap card and destroyed it." The Dimensional Knight slammed its lance right into the white blob monster on Ichigo's field. Though for a few moments it appeared to be destroyed, it quickly popped back into shape. "And since the effect of my trap card keeps your monster in attack mode, you just lost 2300 life points! For an added effect, you also have to remove the top three cards of your deck from the game!"

Ichigo- 1400

Kenshin- 1550

Gulping loudly, Ichigo knew what was coming next...

"Now Command Knight, attack his Marshmallon and end this game!" The woman drew her sword, charged across the field, and slashed through the blob monster. Though it instantly reformed, the damage had already been done.

Ichigo- 0

Kenshin- 1550

"You're good and all, but your strategy..." Kenshin shut his mouth as the entire classroom became consumed by light.

Ichigo- 800

Kenshin- 1550

Grimacing, Ichigo cracked her knuckles and got ready. ("You won't catch me with my pants down this time.") The light from the Blessings of Luna activating faded away, leaving her standing in the classroom with that same smirk on her face. "Like the card I just used? It's got some pretty realistic holograms, wouldn't you say?"

Kenshin narrowed his eyes coldly. "Hmmmm....so it is true." One sniff from his nose told him all he needed to know. "Ichigo Pilkington...I know a secret about you that I doubt you'd like the rest of the school finding out about." He said this so quietly that only someone with Ichigo's ultra-sensitive hearing could have detected it. "So unless you can defeat me in this duel, then I hope for your sake that you weren't planning on having any kind of social life at this school."

Face pale, Ichigo steadied her nerves. ("He's not leaving me with any choice...it's win or be exposed.")

_To be continued…_

Author's notes: Hello to all you people in reader land. Once again, I'm very sorry that I'm not updating with the inhuman speed that I normally do, but keep in mind that I am home now and very busy. Alright, onto the reviews.

To Adriel: Wow….my chapter left him unable to type sentences properly.

To Seeker of the Soul: Oh believe me, it's only going to get better.

To gohan11: Congratulations…you saw it coming.

To TheChazMan: Hey now! I give Archfiends respect…it was just that I was unable to concentrate during those duels.

To john: Thank you very much. Now Mr. Coconut won't have to beat you down using the Koala stick.

To Cartoon Freak: Doubtful that I'm going to add in DBZ. The Blessings of Luna/Lumina thing was my tribute to Ranma 1/2. Plus it's just funny anyway.

To Gryphinwyrm7: Trust me…she's going to have an even harder time explaining it to mom and dad.

To GrizzlyUnderThere: I got your idea.

To Bobbomp: Wow….you're really perverted.

To Anime Albino: I live to serve.

To Luna's Meow: Glad to see you've returned. You know me…predictable to a fault!

To Isumo: I update at the speed that I can find free time to type.

To Hogwarts-Knight: You think you've got it bad? Try having both of them (Rikuo and Eri) living in your skull.

To Dais: Another wise man amongst wise men.

To Darkstar71: I'd be glad to teach you. Just contact me with any questions/requests you have.

To G.O.T. Nick: Glad to see that you caught up with the rest of us. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

To Kitsune Duelist: I've got escape paths set up all over the place. They'll never take me without a fight!


	28. Blades

1Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 28: Blades

"...and so that's how it happened." Daniel held his breath, while watching his other half intently.

Rikuo's eyes were wide open, and he was holding perfectly still. To the untrained eye, he looked perfectly calm.

Daniel knew the tell-tale signs of gathering anger. "Would it help the situation if you flew into a rage and destroyed the entire complex?"

"No..." Rikuo whispered out through clenched teeth. "But it would make me feel soooo much better." His claws were flexing on their own. "Besides...what are a few human lives?"

"More than you're worth." Honestly though, Daniel was surprised that Rikuo was taking this so well. "I'm truly impressed with you being able to control that temper of yours. The old Rikuo Amero would have destroyed the entire building by now."

"I...I...need to...go." Slowly standing, Rikuo continued to clench his fists while he walked out of Daniel's room.

("Wow...Rikuo...he actually didn't freak out.") Daniel smiled warmly at the thought that maybe Rikuo's entire outlook on dealing with life's little problems was changed.

Then explosions rang outside his window. "Of all the stupid, arrogant..."

Rolling his eyes, Daniel stuck his hands into his pockets and walked outside. "I'd better go stop him before people start dying."

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_Ichigo- 0_

_Kenshin- 1550_

"_You're good and all, but your strategy..." Kenshin shut his mouth as the entire classroom became consumed by light. _

_Ichigo- 800_

_Kenshin- 1550_

_Grimacing, Ichigo cracked her knuckles and got ready. ("You won't catch me with my pants down this time.") The light from the Blessings of Luna activating faded away, leaving her standing in the classroom with that same smirk on her face. "Like the card I just used? It's got some pretty realistic holograms, wouldn't you say?"_

_Kenshin narrowed his eyes coldly. "Hmmmm....so it is true." One sniff from his nose told him all he needed to know. "Ichigo Pilkington...I know a secret about you that I doubt you'd like the rest of the school finding out about." He said this so quietly that only someone with Ichigo's ultra-sensitive hearing could have detected it. "So unless you can defeat me in this duel, then I hope for your sake that you weren't planning on having any kind of social life at this school."_

_Face pale, Ichigo steadied her nerves. ("He's not leaving me with any choice...it's win or be exposed.")_

With his declaration made, Kenshin knew exactly what his next move was going to be. "Now I'll use the effect of the Fusion Gate card that you played to fuse Command Knight and Dimensional Knight together." The two warriors disappeared from the field and were replaced by a regal crystalline-blue armored knight. "I call out Dimensional Commander (2400/2000) in attack mode. As long as this monster is on the field, all of my warrior monsters on the field gain 1000 attack points." (3400/2000) "And with that I end my turn."

Ichigo drew slowly, trying to ignore the fact that she was right back where she started. ("Now I'm just going to have to switch my monsters into defense mode and pray for something good.") The very second the card left the top of her deck, a golden light flowed around her body from the Blessings of Luna card.

Ichigo- 1600

Kenshin- 1550

One glance at the card brought a smile to her face. ("Oh dear Luna, thank you.") "I play the magic card Reinforcements of the Army! This magic card allows me to search my deck for one level four or lower warrior sub-type monster and place it into my hand!" Removing her deck from its deck slot, the half-demon knew exactly what to search for. Adding the searched for card to her hand, she replaced it into her deck slot. "Now I switch Marshmallon and Cyber Shadow-Lord of Knives into defense mode." The black-suited assassin monster fell to one knee, while the white blob didn't really change at all. "End turn."

Kenshin glanced at his deck, and then at the Blessings of Luna card. ("As long as that is on the field he'll gain life points. That has to be stopped right now.") Snapping the top card off of his deck, he looked at it and then slid it into his disk. "I set one card face-down. Now I'll wipe out your Lord of Knives with Dimensional Commander!" The crystalline-blue warrior drew its sword and leapt across the field, cutting Ichigo's monster in half with one flick of its wrist. "End turn."

Ichigo sucked air through her teeth at the sight of one of her best creatures being destroyed. "I draw." Holding the card up to her eyes, she smirked. "I've got you now! I play the..."

Kenshin snapped his fingers, the card he had set last turn flipping up. "I activate my trap card D.D. Sword." A blue crystal sword shot out the face-up trap card and slashed the card right out of Ichigo's hand. "This trap card activates when you attempt to play a card. By discarding one card from my hand, I can immediately negate that card and remove it from play."

Staring numbly at the space where the Marshmallon Glasses continuous magic card had been just moments before, Ichigo felt like screaming. ("You...you...ARGH!!!") "End turn!"

Ichigo- 2400

Kenshin- 1550

Kenshin drew. "Hmmm....a useful card. I think I'll set it face-down and end my turn, since your Marshmallon cannot be destroyed in battle."

Ichigo drew, taking consolation in the fact that Luna's Blessings was raising her life points each turn. "I summon Cyber Shadow-Trainer (300/1200) in defense mode, and then I set one card face-down on the field. End turn." A grizzly bearded old man in a black body-suit appeared on the field in a crouching position. Golden light flowed around her as the Blessings of Luna raised her life points again.

Ichigo- 3200

Kenshin- 1550

("That is most likely some kind of trap card to destroy my monster. How foolsh do you think I am Ichigo?") Kenshin drew. "I attack your Trainer with Dimensional Commander!" Drawing its sword, the knight charged forwards to slash through Ichigo's monster.

"You walked right into my trap!" Ichigo motioned to her set card, which flipped up. "Shadow Optics let me sacrifice one Cyber Shadow on my field to create a token copy of your creature. And since you've declared an attack, you're about to suicide your creature into mine!" The Trainer shimmered and was replaced by an exact replica of the Dimensional Commander. "This is the end for your monster!"

Kenshin motioned to two of his face-down cards. "I activate my trap cards Shatter Existence and Pulse of the Warrior!"

Ichigo's heart leapt into her throat. ("Two traps!?")

Kenshin motioned to his first one. "Shatter Existence allows me to discard one card from my hand to remove card on the field from play." Throwing out his only hand card, he smirked and pointed at Marshmallon. "Good-bye!" The little white blob shrieked and exploded into nothingness. "And my second trap card, Pulse of the Warrior, allows me to activate any card set on my field that has the word 'Knight' in it! So I activate the continuous magic card that I had set, Spirit of the Knight!" A blue aura of light erupted around his Dimensional Commander. "Now whenever my monsters battle with creatures of equal power to them, they are not destroyed."

Snapping its sword in a wide arc, the real Dimensional Commander beheaded its Shadow Optics counter-part.

Ichigo grimaced, but didn't complain. ("He's got everything set exactly how he needs it to be. It's almost like he's been directing this duel since the very start.")

Kenshin crossed his arms across his chest and hints of a smile appeared on his face. "Ichigo Pilkington...you're good, but you're also still in need of training. End turn."

Drawing, Ichigo barely even registered the light that flowed around her body from the Blessings of Luna.

Ichigo- 4200

Kenshin- 1550

("If I don't figure out some kind of way to get around his strategy, then he's going to pick me apart by the end of these next two turns.") Until then though... "I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Kenshin drew. "And so your run of luck starts to plummet." Glancing at the card, he slid it into his graveyard slot and drew three cards from his deck. "I'll begin my turn with the magic card Graceful Charity, which lets me draw three cards and then discard two." With a nearly casual glance, he discarded two cards. "It's over! I reveal my set magic card, Nobleman of Crossout!" A man in silver knight's armor appeared on the field. Wordlessly, he ran over and slashed the face-down monster card in half. "This will remove one face-down monster on the field from the game. Now taste the power of Dimensional Commander!" Yelling a battle cry, the crystalline-blue warrior threw its sword across the field.

Ichigo let out a pained cry as the sword sent her flying backwards.

Ichigo- 800

Kenshin- 1550

Chuckling, Kenshin slid a card into his disk. "I end my turn."

Stumbling to her feet, Ichigo snapped a card free from her deck. "I...will not let you win!"

Ichigo- 2000

Kenshin- 1550

("This may work.") She inserted the two remaining cards in her hand into her disk. "I set these two cards face-down. Turn complete!"

"A final foolish bluff." Kenshin drew, a slight smile on his face now. "Dimensional Commander...direct attack on his life..." The ace duelist paled slightly at his suddenly monster less field. "Where did my monster go!?"

"Back to your fusion deck." Ichigo motioned to one of her two set cards. "Truce of Opposing Forces activates when you attack. It sends all monsters on the field back to their owner's hands or appropriate locations."

Growling quietly, Kenshin swept his hand across the field. "End turn!"

("Alright, I've got him on the ropes now!") Ichigo snapped a card off of her deck. "Now Blessings of Luna raises my life points by 100 per monster in the graveyard!" The continuous magic card released a golden glow that flowed around her.

Ichigo- 3200

Kenshin- 1550

"And then I summon Cyber Shadow-Retriever (1000/1000) in attack mode!" A silver plated crab-like robot appeared on the field. "Direct attack!" Screeching, it skittered forwards and slammed its claws down onto Kenshin's body. "End turn."

Ichigo- 3200

Kenshin- 550

Now the Crusader didn't look pleased at all. "So you think that I'm going to be defeated by the likes of you? Think again!" His hand flashed over the top of his deck and he had a second card next to his first one. "Now I summon Master Knight!" (2000/1000) An experience looking warrior in shining white armor appeared on the field. "Then I combine him with the other card in my hand! Activate the equipment magic card Excalibur!" A beautiful thin-bladed sword appeared in the Master Knight's grasp. "This doubles his attack points, and the only downside is that I cannot draw cards during my draw phase until I choose to destroy it." (4000/1000)

Ichigo threw up her arms...

"Master Knight, attack Retriever now!" Howling out a rumbling war cry, the mighty warrior slashed through the crab machine like it was butter. "End turn."

Ichigo- 200

Kenshin- 550

Hair flapping behind her in the wind that came from the backlash, Ichigo reached a hand into her graveyard slot and fished a card out. "When Retriever is destroyed as a result of battle, I may pick up one Cyber Shadow monster from my graveyard and place it back into my hand!" Withdrawing the card she wanted, the half-demon drew.

Ichigo- 1400

Kenshin- 550

Griff felt his heart beating in his chest now. ("This is intense. Who's going to lose?")

Ichigo looked at the card she drew and smiled. "I summon Cyber Shadow-Guardian (0/2200) in defense mode and end my turn." A silver robot appeared on her field in a crouching position.

Kenshin was impressed with this play on his opponent's part. ("He knows that if I don't draw, he'll get a chance to survive one more turn. If I do draw, then my Master Knight's Excalibur will be destroyed and his attack points will drop to a total lower than the defense of his Guardian.") He snapped a card off of his deck, not paying any mind to the crack noise that echoed across the room as Excalibur destroyed itself. "You were hoping that I would be unable to attack this turn. Big mistake."

He tapped a button on his duel disk and slammed a card into an empty magic/trap slot. "Go Kunai with Chain and Razor Armor!" A suit of ridged black armor appeared on his Master Knight, and around the warrior's arm appeared a strange-looking metal boomerang attached to a chain. "My Kunai with Chain trap card will raise Master Knight's attack points by 500. And my Razor Armor will not only raise my monster's attack points by 400, but when it is destroyed in battle you will take the damage." (2900/1000)

Ichigo grimaced as the Master Knight leapt forward and casually slashed the Guardian in half.

Kenshin crossed his arms across his chest and smirked. "I'm having a lot of fun, but you're still a bit of a disappointment. End turn."

Ichigo drew, blood pumping now. "I'm going to show you that duels are never certain wins or losses!"

Ichigo- 3300

Kenshin- 550

Griff bit his lower lip nervously. "I'm not sure how much more of this I can take!"

Ichigo looked at the card she drew and smirked. "We've reached the last turn of this duel. Observe my winning play! First I activate the secondary effect of my Cyber Shadow Mainframe!" The continuous magic card exploded into digital bits. "By sacrificing it, I may special summon two Cyber Shadow monsters from my graveyard to the field for one turn. The only stipulation is that they cannot attack or be sacrificed for a tribute effect!"

In a bright flash of light a silver humanoid robot and a silver plated crab robot appeared on her field. "Come out, Cyber Shadow-Guardian and Cyber Shadow-Retriever!"

Kenshin narrowed his eyes. "If you can't sacrifice or attack with them, then what's the point?"

"The point is that I'm about to summon one of my ultimate monsters!" She slid another card into her duel disk. "I play Monster Reborn to revive one of the cards that I discarded before!" A silver robot with tank treads and satellite dish on its back appeared on the field. "I special summon Cyber Shadow-Relay (0/1600) in attack mode!"

A swirl of green light appeared on the field in front of her. "So now I'll fuse Guardian, Relay, and Retriever together to create this!" Each of the three machines were sucked into the swirl and disappeared. What stood in their place was much more impressive though. "Behold the ultimate fusion!"

What was on her field was so large that only its very front end was visible in the classroom. Its shell was an olive green that made it seem like one huge insect, except for the fact that it was metal. "I summon Steel Titan-Arsenal (0/5000) in defense mode!"

Kenshin kept cool under pressure, and even now he remained utterly emotionless. "What's the point of such a big monster? It has no attack points."

"True enough...but keep in mind that I have a special plan in mind. Arsenal's special ability allows me to special summon any Steel Titans in my hand to the field without needing to sacrifice for them. Plus...there's no effect damage to my life points from their abilities." Still smiling, she slapped a card onto the disk. In one blinding flash of light, a huge robot built to look like a Tyrannosaurus Rex appeared on the field. "So I summon Steel Titan-Rex (2800/2000) to the field in attack mode!"

Kenshin rolled his eyes and placed his hands on his hips. "And here I was expecting something with enough attack points to wipe out my Master Knight. What's that hunk of steel going to do?"

"This hunk of steel is about to bring down the house...and right on top of you." Ichigo motioned to her newest monster. "When Rex is summoned to the field, he would normally use his effect to deal me some damage. Thanks to Arsenal, that isn't a problem though." On Rex's back, a pair of huge missiles appeared. "Now observe as Rex activates its special power! Nuclear Strike!"

"Nuclear Strike!?" Kenshin didn't know what kind of power that was, but it certainly didn't sound like something pleasant.

The missiles lifted into the air and then came slamming down. An explosion that could best be described as unbelievable shook the entire building. When it stopped, the field was clear of nothing but Steel Titans Arsenal and Rex.

Ichigo smiled slyly. "When Steel Titan-Rex is special summoned, it destroys all cards on the field but itself. And Arsenal is immune to the effects of other Steel Titans. That doesn't matter though..." He motioned to Rex. "Because now you're finished."

Kenshin found it hard to believe that he had been so quickly defeated. However... "Very well...end this." His smile said that this entire battle had been in good fun, and nothing more.

Ichigo was all too happy to comply. "Steel Titan-Rex...Gatling Destruction!" Raising a steel arm, the machine monster released a wave of bullets that pounded against the Crusader. "And that brings the match to a close."

Ichigo- 3300

Kenshin- 0

A stunned silence held over the crowd.

Kenshin reshuffled his deck and brushed his leather coat off. "I must admit, that was impressive. Good job." He turned around and walked right out the door he had come in from.

His departure was so sudden that no one was sure what to do.

All Ichigo could think about was how good of a duel that had been.

Griff just wanted his heart to stop pounding.

_To be continued..._

Next chapter: Complications

Author's Notes: And so the duel between Kenshin and Ichigo ends with a win. Next chapter should have plenty of fun non-dueling stuff. After all, just read the next title.

To Adriel: I make no promises, but I'll try.

To Kitsune Duelist: That's completely fine, you're more than welcome to use the concept. As for Angel Duelist Legacy…I'm sorry to tell you, but it has been discontinued.

To Seeker of the Soul: I leave that to your imagination.

To GryphinWyrm7: :P I copy nothing. This character was submitted and this was his deck type.

To falcon demon general: (Rikuo: ……………………..I'm not in the mood to kill just you. Now get out of my way so I can go declare a personal war on France.

To Bobbomp: Just a teensy bit.

To Anime Albino: OO Eri is an idol?

To Demon Fan: Crazy…

To Luna's Meow: Oh yeah…Poor Ichigo.

To Hogwarts-Knight: Once again…Poor Ichigo.


	29. Complications

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 29: Complications

"...and then he summoned Rex and blew Crusader away!" Griff couldn't get over how well that entire situation had gone. Now Ichigo was the talk of the school even more than before. "If you keep this up, people will be aiming to become part of Osiris Red before they become part of Obelisk Blue!"

Krieger didn't really know the reputation of this 'Crusader', but he assumed that he had to be good. "Actually....did Ichigo have to activate Blessings of Luna during that match?"

Sighing, Ichigo picked up the pace towards the house. "I don't want to talk about it. That card is seriously getting on my nerves. It's turning me into its private little toy, and I hate that. I wonder if I can even win without its help anymore."

Shaking his head sadly, Griff sped up until he was next to his roomate again. "Why are you letting this get you down? Weren't you the one who wanted to make of the best of a bad situation?"

"That was before I started turning into a girl during the middle of duels." Pouting, Ichigo kicked a nearby rock about the size of his foot into the higher atmosphere.

Watching the flight path of the rapidly disappearing stone, Griff patted his friend on the shoulder. "Hey...if all else doesn't work out, at least you have a shot at Women's Soccer."

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Eri looked out at the afternoon sun and shivered. Ever since the sun had started its setting, she'd been feeling more and more nervous. "Why am I so afraid?"

Every instinct in her body told her that she hadn't imagined what had happened last night, but she refused to believe that someone of her caliber would be stuck with any kind of curse. "That kind of thing is supposed to happen to Pilkington. What did I do to deserve it?"

"Well for one thing you disobeyed my specific wishes by challenging a total stranger to a darkness game."

Millions of possible escape routes ran through the demoness' head in the span of twenty seconds, before she finally realized that no matter where she ran her father would probably catch her. Without even looking away from the window, she frowned unhappily. "Hello father."

"Keh!" Rikuo shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and walked towards his daughter. "Is that all you have to tell me?"

"Would it matter if I said that the 'man' I challenged was an evil specter?" Eri wanted to sound proud, or at least smug. The best she could play off was exasperated.

"No it won't." The wolf demon ran his hands through his raven-black hair to clear it from his shoulders. "And honestly...I wouldn't believe you at the moment anyway." Grabbing a nearby chair, he spun it around and sat down. "Did you truly believe that the best way to blow off steam was a darkness game?"

"You just said you wouldn't believe me," the demoness replied spitefully.

"Don't you cop an attitude with me! You're the one who's in trouble, not me!" Standing and shoving the chair aside, Rikuo stomped forwards and placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder roughly. "Never forget who gave you life, and who could just as easily take it away."

Eri went silent, her face hidden from view by locks as black as her father's.

Rikuo's stern glare softened as he heard soft gasps for air escape his daughter's lips. ("Damn it...stupid emotions.") Sitting down next to her on the window sill, he hugged her to his chest and listened to her cry silently. ("Eri...whatever happens...I'll still love you.")

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Daniel groaned and popped his back. Rikuo's little rage fit had nearly destroyed the entire school, but luckily the wolf demon still didn't know how to operate siege weaponry. ("Why do they even have those things here?")

His phone rang and for a few seconds he weighed whether it was worth answering or not. ("After all, this day could get a lot worse.") Common sense got the better of his superstition though, and he answered. "Hello?" The voice on the other end of the line sounded rather concerned. "Oh yeah...we have to get that done, don't we? Well I sent you guys the measurements, can't you do it without him there?" He listened to their reply and nodded to nobody. "Don't worry if it is going to be a little bit tight. He'll be okay."

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Griff looked his rented tuxedo over and nodded. "I'm going to be one sharp-looking devil in this thing."

Ichigo shrugged and laid back in his bed. "Forget that...I'm not wasting my money renting a suit for an occasion where my 'date' is more likely to throw me in the river than stand within three feet of me."

"Speaking of date, who's going to be the girl?" Griff shrugged innocently at the death glare he got. "It's an honest question."

Ruffling up his hair enough to conceal his ears, Krieger did a few finishing touches on his appearance before coming out of the bathroom. "How do I look?"

Griff whistled and hopped onto his feet. "Take a look at this guy!" He patted his roommate on the shoulder. "You look great, Krieger my man!"

Ichigo wasn't paying attention anymore. He was more focused on the fact that Griff's question had brought up a point that he really hadn't thought about. ("I'm supposed to take Eri...and this is supposed to be a guy/girl thing. If I'm the girl and Eri's the guy though...") He flushed bright red. ("No way in the world is anyone getting a dress on me! NO WAY!!!")

"I'll see you at the party Ashley." Sammy walked off with a light-hearted skip in her step. This was going to be a great party tonight, and even Eri-san was going. ("Though I have to admit that the terms for it were rather forced on her. Oh well...she's going to forget all about her troubles tonight.")

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"Ah, my dear Sammy! How good it is to see you."

Skidding to a halt, Sammy turned around and came face to face with someone she had hoped to avoid for the rest of the day. "Oh...hi there Adriel!"

Running a hand through his semi-spiky black hair, the dragon duelist brushed his robes out and bowed to her. "I was hoping I'd find you before the party started. There was a question I wanted to ask you."

Gulping, Sammy knew what was coming. Though she didn't have anything personal against Adriel, she just didn't like him in the same way he seemed to like her. ("Now the big problem is telling him that. He's such a persistent guy.") "Uh...what can I do for you, Adriel?"

Giving his best smile, Adriel pulled a single red rose out of his sleeve and offered it to her. "Would you give me the supreme honor of going to the mixer tonight with you?"

"Um...um..." Sammy mentally searched for some kind of excuse. ("Okay...well...who would...") "I can't!"

Raising an eyebrow, the dragon duelist narrowed his blue eyes slightly. "Why not?"

"Because...someone already asked me to go." Sammy tried her best to sound sincere.

"And who would that be?" Adriel's eyes narrowed to slits.

"Err...well....it was..." This was the tough part for Sammy. She didn't have any idea who would have asked her. "....Griff!"

"Griff?" Adriel growled quietly. "Are you telling me Mohistava asked you to the mixer...and you said yes?"

She nodded meekly. "Y...yeah..."

Dropping the rose to the ground, he turned around on one heel and stomped off. ("We'll just see about that!")

Wiping a few beads of sweat away from her brow, Sammy spun around and hoped that she could find Griff before Adriel got to him.

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"Ichigo...be reasonable." Daniel held his hands up soothingly. "It's just for one night, and no one is going to recognize you."

Griff sat back in his chair and smirked. If there was one thing he could always say about the Pilkington family, it was that they were never dull.

"Who are you to talk about being reasonable!? You're asking me to wear a dress for a night!!!" The half-demon couldn't believe that his father was this insane. "Why would you want your son in a dress in the first place!?"

"Because the party is a formal occasion, and girls don't wear tuxedos to formal occasions. Also, Eri's dress was never fitted for her, so it's just a bit loose. Considering how when you are a girl you're just a little bigger than she is, it should fit you perfectly." Daniel knew his reasoning in this case was ridiculous, but if there was one thing he didn't want to have happen it was for his wife to get angry.

"What...is...the...matter...with you!?" Ichigo leapt forward, his face just a few inches from his father's. "Take a look at me, do I look like a girl to you!?"

"Quick Mr. Pilkington, shut your eyes and wait until night-fall to answer that question!" Yelled Griff from off to the sides. That earned him another death glare from Ichigo, but he was enjoying this argument way too much to care.

For a few fleeting moments, Daniel actually considered leaving and coming back after the moon had risen. ("He'll probably be more reasonable as a girl...I hope.")

"Read my lips, dad! There is no way I'm wearing a dress!" Ichigo looked beyond angry. He looked like he was about ready to start killing people actually.

"Ichigo, calm down please." Daniel tried to sound stern, but considering he was afraid his son might just kill him, it came out more like a whimper. "I'm only asking this because your mother was so insistent on you taking Eri to that party."

"Did you ever think to explain the current situation to mom!?" Ichigo was on his last nerves. "Because I bet she'd understand!"

Daniel rubbed his eyes with a hand. "Do you understand how your mother will respond to finding out that her dear Ichigo turns into a girl? I can't say for sure how she'll react, but I doubt it will be a pleasant day for whoever the messenger is. And in case you haven't noticed, the messenger would be me!" His hand slid down to rub his chin. "Unless you'd like to tell her."

That brought a shiver to Ichigo's spine. "Yeah...good point. But still...there's no way you're making me wear a dress!"

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Rikuo and Eri sat together at the edge of the demoness' bed. He'd promised that he would stay by her side until the night came, just so that her fears about this 'curse' could be proven wrong. Though he didn't tell her, Rikuo somehow doubted that this entire thing was just a figment of his daughter's imagination. Right outside the window, the last rays of the sun started to disappear.

Closing her eyes, Eri wished desperately that this whole thing had been nothing but a bad dream. ("After all...this isn't supposed to happen to me. I'm destined for greatness, but not curses.")

The sun disappeared and darkness filled the sky.

She desperately tried to pretend that the tingles she felt running through her body was a figment of her imagination, and that she wasn't actually hearing her father's gasp of surprise. A few seconds passed where she didn't hear anything, and hoping against hope, her eyes opened. The first thing to greet her was the surprised face of her father. ("No...please no...")

The next words out of Rikuo's mouth shattered what little pieces of hope she had left. "Well....at least you make a handsome guy."

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"I can't believe I'm wearing a dress..." Ichigo was sure that her life had just reached an all-time low.

"Hey, it could be worse." Griff had his eyes facing the same direction as Krieger's. That happened to be away from Ichigo.

And for good reasons. When Daniel had said that the dress had been originally for Eri, he might have been stretching the truth. Ichigo couldn't believe that the demoness would allow herself to be dressed like this. The thought of Eri in black, skin-tight satin definitely didn't sit as correct in the half-demon's mind. ("Then again...neither does the fact that I'm wearing this damned thing.")

Krieger was looking away mostly to hide his blush. He'd never considered himself all that confident around women, and this pushed his limits.

Griff smirked and threw Ichigo a thumbs-up. "You look even better than Krieger did! Way to go!"

Ichigo growled and punched a hole in the wall. "I...hate...dresses! Why do I have to wear one? I am a guy!!!"

Griff shrugged and walked over to the front door. "All I have to say is that I'm glad I'm not in your shoes. See you at..."

Somebody knocked at the door.

Sighing, Ichigo walked out of immediate sight. ("I hate my life...")

Griff opened the door, and blinked a few times in complete confusion. "Adriel Zaytel? What in the..." He was silenced by an outstretched hand and open palm.

"Not one more word out of you, Mohistava." Adriel pointed down over the railing to in front of the Osiris Red dorm. "I challenge you to a duel. Now accept, so that I can prove how useless of a duelist and a person you really are."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few minutes later, both Griff and Adriel were standing in front of the Osiris Red dorm. Griff had his duel disk on, while Adriel wore his dragon motif duel coat. The scene could definitely be considered surreal, since both of them were wearing tuxedos.

"Not that I mind ruining you in a duel, but what's this all about Zaytel?" Griff wasn't sure what was the matter with the dragon duelist, but he knew it had to be something big for him to come all this way to duel.

"You asked Sammy Coffin to the mixer party." Adriel clenched and unclenched his fist a few times. "That is unacceptable! I was going to ask her, and I refuse to be upstaged by the likes of you!"

"Sammy...party...me!?" Griff was glad his skin was as bronze as it was, or else someone might see the fact he was blushing. "What are you talking about!?"

"Silence infidel!" Adriel's duel coat hummed to life. "I will not listen to any of your lies! Prepare yourself for battle!"

Griff- 4000

Adriel- 4000

Griff was quick to recover from his embarassment. "That's fine with me, let's go!" He slid six cards off of his deck. "I'll begin this duel! Draw!" He flicked his gaze over the cards and then raised his eyes to meet Adriel's. "I'm still not sure what you're going on about, but it was a big mistake challenging me to this duel!"

Snickering, Adriel slid five cards off of his deck. "Your bluff is horrible. I know just how good you are, and while in low class circuits I suppose you are passable...this is the big leagues, little weakling!"

"Then why are you here? Last I checked you weren't exactly top-notch yourself." Griff snickered and slapped a card onto his disk. "I still don't know why you're acting so crazy, but honestly I don't care. Let's get this done! I set one monster on the field in face-down defense mode and two cards face-down. End turn."

Snarling, Adriel drew from his deck. "You would dare...to put my skill on the same level as yours!?"

Griff shrugged innocently. "Hey, it's an honest evaluation. After all, you lost to Ichigo and Eri in the course of one week."

"So you think that automatically means I can lose to you!?" Adriel slammed a card from his hand into his disk. "Then prepare to pay the price that comes with ignorance! First I play Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two cards!" Now with seven cards in his hand, Adriel knew all too well what he needed to do. ("So be it...I'll show him the power of my real dragon. A beast with powers far beyond whatever measly little monsters Mohistava can summon.") "I set one monster in defense mode. End turn."

Griff drew calmly, his stance saying that he wasn't afraid in the least. "Adriel, you're the one with the horrible bluff. You set that monster just so that I think it's a trick and therefore won't attack it. Well now I'll show you that Griff Mohistava doesn't fall for bluffs! I flip up the monster that I set on the field. Come out, Man With Wdjat!" (1600/1600) A man in a purple robe with the golden eye of Ra on its head appeared. "Attack his defense monster now!" It lifted its palms and unleashed a wave of glowing light that engulfed and destroyed the set creature.

Adriel closed his eyes and smirked slightly, one hand fluttering through his deck casually. "Sammy Coffin is too good for the foolish likes of you. The creature you destroyed was Child of the Grand (800/500) and when it is destroyed, I may special summon from my deck or hand one of the greatest beasts in all of Duel Monsters." Pulling a card free, he glanced at it to make sure it was right before placing it carefully onto his disk. "Now awaken...Grand Emperor Dragon!" (2000/2500)

High above them, a single echoing cry that was a mix of a snake's hiss and crystal clinking together reached the ears of the two duelists. With incredible grace for something of its size, an enormous gold-scaled and silver-eyed dragon landed on the field.

"Grand...Emperor...Dragon?" Griff took a couple of steps backwards from the amazing creature. "Where did you get something like that? I've never heard of it before."

"I doubt the common likes of you would ever had heard of such a powerful and rare card." Adriel crossed his arms across his chest. "Now then...it's still your turn."

Looking his hand over, the Egyptian duelist suddenly knew fear. ("Okay...it isn't like I haven't faced tougher than this before. Did they have to make that thing so...scary?") He could have sworn that the Grand Emperor Dragon was eyeing him like he was lunch. "I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Adriel drew, smirking at his opponent's reaction to his monster. "What's the matter, Mohistava? Is a card making you quiver in fear?"

Mind set on the fact that he was facing against an Obelisk Blue duelist, Griff managed to stifle any fear he still had. "You wish I could be afraid of something like that overgrown iguana!"

"Iguana?" Adriel slid a card from his hand into his disk. "Just for that, I play the magic card Stamping Destruction. Now my monster will destroy one of your two face-down cards. And just for kicks, you'll also take 500 life points of damage." Snarling loudly, the Grand Emperor Dragon launched across the field and brought a claw slamming down to crush one of the two cards.

Griff- 3500

Adriel- 4000

Without skipping a beat, the dragon duelist threw a card down onto his disk. "Now I summon Gemini Dragon Wings (1900/2200) in attack mode." A pair of huge dragon wings attached to a phantasmal figure appeared on the field next to the Grand Emperor. "And that triggers the special ability of my other dragon. Whenever a dragon monster comes onto the field, the attack of Grand Emperor Dragon is increased by 500 points permanently. So up comes the attack of my greatest monster!" (2500/2500)

"500 points per dragon!?" Griff glanced nervously at his graveyard, where his Magic-Arm Shield trap card was. ("That thing would have saved me from some life point damage.")

"Grand Emperor Dragon, Solar Stream! Annihilate Man With Wdjat!" Opening its jaws, the golden monster sprayed out a wave of energy that blew the purple-robed away.

Griff- 2600

Adriel- 4000

Adriel snapped up his hand to point at the defense mode monster. "Gemini Dragon Wings, attack now!" The phantasmal dragon released a thin beam of green light that slashed the defending monster in half.

Griff yanked his deck out of his disk. "You've activated the ability of Lucky Coin (0/100) and that means I get to search my deck for a monster with 500 or less attack points and special summon it to the field!" A few seconds later his deck was back where it belonged and he had the card he needed. "So now I special summon Dark Scorpion (250/300) to the field in attack mode!" A small black scorpion appeared on his field with its pincers up in front of it protectively.

"You and that monster have a lot of things in common, Mohistava." Adriel wasn't quite done yet. "Both of you are easily crushed beneath my heel." Snapping a card off of his deck, he discarded it. "Now I end my turn with the effect of Gemini Dragon Wings, which forces me to either discard the top card of my deck at the end of each turn, or destroy my monster."

Griff drew slowly, a rather obvious question coming to mind. "So what did I do to deserve your attention suddenly? You said it had something to do with Sammy?"

"That's right..." Adriel's fists clenched slowly. "I had every intention of asking me out to the mixer. Then I find out that a low-class slime has already asked her to the party...and for that you must pay!"

"Why do I have to pay? What did I do?" Griff wasn't quite catching on.

Spitting onto the dirt spitefully, the dragon duelist refused to be baited. "Make your move."

"Fine, but before this duel is over with I'm going to figure out what is that matter with you." Looking at his drawn card, Griff had a very evil little plan in his head. "Now I set two cards face-down on the field. Then I play the magic card Exchange, meaning that you get the one card in my hand and I get one of the cards in your hand." He walked across the field and held out the single card to his opponent.

Adriel reached out for it, but grabbed nothing but air. "What are you doing!?"

Smiling, Griff snapped the card over. "This little guy is a monster called Faithful Guard (800/1200) and with his special ability you won't be getting anything out of our little exchange. When Faithful Guard is in the hand of my opponent, then I may at any time return it from your hand to mine. So let me take my card from you, and then we can move on."

Fanning out his five hand cards, Adriel narrowed his eyes murderously. "I'd be careful if I were you. Anger me...and the consequences will be dire indeed."

Grabbing the Snatch Steal equipment magic card that caught his eye, Griff gave his opponent a lazy salute. "Just for your information, that threat works much better if you're Eri...or at least someone intimidating." Walking back to his field, the Egyptian duelist felt satisfied knowing that he now had Adriel steaming mad.

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Ichigo sighed and opened the window of their room quietly. "I'll see you at the party Krieger."

"You're going out through the back? Why?" Krieger sat down in a desk chair and fiddled with his tie.

"Because I don't feel like having to answer questions." Giving her roomate one more nod, the half-demon leapt out the window, touched feet to the branch of a tree right next to the building, tripped over her dress skirt, and plummeted two stories to come crashing into the ground. "Stupid dress!"

Krieger rolled his eyes and sat back in his seat. "So much for being stealthy."

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Griff spun around as soon as he was back to his position. ("I feel my blood pumping and my skill at its peak. It's a good day to be alive!") "I reveal one of the two cards that I set, which is the magic card Stone of Enlightment! This magic card allows me to discard one card from my hand to draw three. So I'll toss my Faithful Guard and draw three times." Sliding three more cards off of his deck, he inserted two of them into his disk. "Now I set two cards face-down on the field. Finally, I think I'll take that Snatch Steal magic card that I stole from you for a spin!"

Growling, the Grand Emperor Dragon snapped its head around to glare at its former master.

("He's using my own dragon against me.") Anger turned to pure red hatred. ("Now...I'll do more than crush you...") Adriel barely flinched as the Grand Emperor used its Solar Stream to destroy the Gemini Dragon Wings. ("...I'll bury you.")

Griff- 2600

Adriel- 3400

Frowning at the lack of response from his opponent, Griff motioned to Adriel. "And now I end my turn."

"And the turn goes to he who truly deserves the spotlight." Adriel drew and slid the drawn card into his disk. "Go Soul Exchange!" Releasing one pained cry, the Grand Emperor Dragon faded away with the Dark Scorpion. "Now I can sacrifice monsters on your field to summon my own. Before we continue though, keep in mind that by playing Snatch Steal I will gain 1000 life points each of my stand-by phases. So all of the damage you dealt me from before was a waste of effort and time."

Griff- 2600

Adriel- 4400

Not waiting for his opponent to reply, Adriel slammed his monster down. "So I sacrifice your two monsters to summon Tyrant Dragon (2900/2500) in attack mode!" A huge brown-scaled dragon appeared on his field. "This mighty beast will be the beginning of your end, thanks to my next card." A screech of crystal and hissing echoed across the small field around them. "I play Reverse Effect!"

("Reverse Effect?") Griff would have asked, but he figured that Adriel was going to tell him what it did soon enough.

"Reverse Effect will undo the effects of one card. Since Soul Exchange sacrificed your two monsters, I'll undo that effect and return them both to you." The ground in front of Griff exploded as the towering form of Grand Emperor Dragon and Dark Scorpion returned.

"Wait a second Adriel!" Griff's deck spat out a card, which he caught and slapped onto his disk. "When Dark Scorpion is sacrificed, I may special summon any Dark Scorpion Burglar from my deck to the field!" An ox of a man shouldering a heavy stone sledgehammer appeared on the field in a crouching position. "So go Gorg the Strong in defense mode!" (1800/1500)

"How quaint, another of your little burglars. Too bad he won't do you much good." Adriel snapped his fingers calmly. "Since Grand Emporer Dragon returns to the field without Snatch Steal on it, it comes back to me." The golden-scaled monster floated across the field and spun around to join alongside the Tyrant Dragon. "Your time is up Mohistava. This is your last turn! Tyrant Dragon, attack his Dark Scorpion now!"

Griff motioned to two of his set cards. "Reveal face-down cards, Pharaoh's Treasure and Graverobber!"

Adriel stopped his building momentum. "Traps?"

"Right." Griff took the Pharaoh's Treasure card and shuffled it face-up into his deck. "Now when Pharaoh's Treasure is drawn from my deck, I may discard it immediately to pick up one other card from my graveyard." Re-inserting his deck into its slot, he motioned to his other card. "Then Graverobber will steal one card from your graveyard and let me use it immediately. So I'll take your Pot of Greed and draw two cards!" He slid two cards free, disappointed not to find either of them being the Pharaoh's Treasure card.

"What a ridiculous play. You're going to lose anyway..." Adriel nodded to his Tyrant Dragon, which sprayed a wave of fire across the field to instantly barebecue the Dark Scorpion. "And then the special ability of Tyrant Dragon allows it to attack again!" Roaring, the brown-scaled beast released another fire blast that destroyed Gorg the Strong. "And for the finale...Solar Stream!"

"Not so fast Adriel, I activate my quickplay magic card Scapegoat!" Griff breathed a quiet sigh of relief as four different colored goats appeared on his field in time to block the wave of solar power. Now he had only three of them left though, and when they were gone his life points were open to attack. ("I've got to make some kind of turn-around before then.")

Though he disliked the fact that he was being foiled, Adriel knew that next turn Mohistava would lose. ("I've got the two cards necessary in my hand to end this duel with me being on top.") "End turn."

Griff drew, his heart skipping a beat at the sight of the Pharaoh's Treasure being his next card. ("That could buy me some time.") "I set three cards face-down and one monster in defense mode. End turn." Now he had no cards in his hand, one monster with three Scapegoats, and four set magic/trap cards. ("That should be enough...I hope.")

Adriel drew. "Mohistava...I have my eyes set on Sammy Coffin...and you will not deny me that which I want!" His blood pounding in his ears, the dragon duelist slammed a card into his disk and followed up with another that went onto it. "I play Premature Burial! This will allow me to revive one monster from my graveyard at the cost of 800 life points! Also, I summon Spear Dragon (1900/0) in attack mode!" A blue-nosed armless dragon appeared on his field, and then next to it the phantasmal shape of his Gemini Dragon Wings appeared. "And since I just summoned two dragon monsters, Grand Emperor Dragon gains attack points!" (3500/2500)

Griff- 2600

Adriel- 3600

Griff grimaced as he suddenly was in the 'about to be destroyed' zone. "You play strong..."

"There's no other way to do it! Gemini Dragon Wings, Spear Dragon, and Grand Emperor Dragon now attack your Scapegoat!" The three dragons each released their respective attacks, blowing away the three remaining colored furballs. "Spear Dragon deals damage through defense, so you lose life points!"

Griff- 700

Adriel- 3600

The Tyrant Dragon lowered its head and sprayed the defense mode monster with fire, instantly decimating it. "And now the special ability of Tyrant Dragon lets it attack again. Farewell, Mohistava!" Growling, the Tyrant Dragon charged up another ball of fire within its jaws.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Though she had some problems on the way there, Ichigo managed to successfully make it to the Obelisk Blue girl's dorm without being caught or noticed. Thanking Luna for at least not making this too hard, she decided it best to just scale the side of the dorm building and go up to Eri's room.

Looking inside though, she didn't see anyone inside. ("Maybe Eri can't go...") A few seconds of joy flashed through her brain...and then she saw the bathroom door open. ("Or maybe Eri was just using the bathroom.")

It took Ichigo a few moments to mentally memorize what Eri's other self looked like. Not that it was all that hard to forget. ("Actually, she looks a lot like I do.") Except for the long black hair, a couple fewer inches of height, and crimson/gold eyes, Eri's guy form did look like it could be Ichigo's near twin.

Tugging on the hem of the tuxedo that was originally meant for Ichigo, Eri tried to ignore the constant flashes of pure anger that bruned in his mind. ("I'll get this done for mother's sake, and then father said uncle Jourgen would hopefully have some kind of solution to this 'complication'.") Running his brush through his hair a couple more times to straighten it out, Eri wondered just at what point did things have to become so bizarre. ("It isn't like I'm not used to strange things though...after all, father's dealt with numerous ancient demonic spirits since I've been born, and mother's come home with so many different world treasures that I'm starting to think that the authorities have just given up trying to catch her. That makes sense though, since she does return everything she stole...well, almost everything.")

A tap at the window caught his attention, and looking back he felt a few moments of confusion at the sight of Ichigo. ("Normally I'd just throw a bed at him for daring to come here, but...") Thoughts of his mother flashed in his head. ("...I hate loving you, mother.") Walking over to the window, he opened it.

_To be continued..._

Author's Notes: Sorry about the lateness of this chapter. I'll try and get the next one finished faster.

To Adriel: No, the second to next chapter is the dance.

To G.O.T. Nick: Indeed complications are fun, that they are.

To gohan11: Eh...probably not.

To Kitsune Duelist: That's between you and her.

To falcon demon general: Excalibur is a multiple print card. France?

To Behemoth Celestia: Thank you for your character submission. As with all others, I'll see if I can find a place for it.

To Hogwarts-Knight: I'll try man...but Eri's pretty hard to avoid angering. She's thrown me out of my room window four times already.

To Bobbomp: I have no idea when your character is going to be in this story.

To Anime Albino: Agreed.

To GrizzlyUnderThere: You're a sick man.


	30. A Strange Memory

Dislcaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 30: A strange memory

Rocks crashed down all around him, and his eyes stung from the pain caused by the burning fires. ("They're all dead. He killed all of them.")

Just a few dozen feet away, a black and silver robed form wandered amongst the flaming wreckage that he had created. ("To think that it was this easy. I barely had to expend any energy at all to destroy the whole temple.") It had been sorely disappointing indeed. "I know you're here boy. Now come out and face me. Or perhaps I'll just get started on the body part collection. It is a bit early, but oh well."

He had no intention of running. It was time for him to make his stand. Placing the corpse of his baby sister at his feet, the boy stepped out of the remains of his family's dining area with a single purpose in mind. "I will not allow you to get away with this! Do you hear me!?"

"I hear you, boy." The robed form threw his arm out, smiling darkly at the sickened look that crossed his face when the grisly prize that was held came into view. Without batting an eye, he threw the heart of the boy's mother to the ground and brought one foot down onto it sharply. Giving one satisfying pop, the removed organ exploded in a burst of gore. "Now let me ask you a question. Did you hear that?"

Growling, the boy flexed his claws and felt rage build up in his chest. "I...will..."

"You'll what? Your father couldn't defeat me...and neither can you." The form swept back his cloak and laughed into the night. "So what exactly can you do that will stop me!?"

"I'll send you to the darkest regions of hell...and when you return there, do my family a favor and stay dead." Wind picked up around them, creating a seal of energy that locked into place. "Prepare yourself!"

The figure's laughter had died down, and all that was left was a sick chuckle. "Prepare myself? Actually fool, you should be the one preparing yourself." With a wave of his hand, the seal turned pitch black. "Because there's no escape from what you have just invoked. Now I'll have the pleasure of destroying the last remnants of the blood-line that I hate with a passion so all-consuming it is maddening."

"You're half right. One of us won't be escaping from this seal. Whoever reaches zero life force first loses and will forever stay in this place until freed. And I doubt the winner will leave the seal somewhere easily found." Unfastening the glasp of his cloak, the boy removed the blue jewel and placed it one his wrist, where it held fast in place. "Kilomet Sestros, I don't know how you have returned from where my father sent you, but you will not be coming back to terrorize the world when I'm done with you."

The Torture King swept his cloak back, a black jewel attached to the wrist of his flesh robes. "You're all that's left of the Amero blood-line, Ahran. Do you really think I can be defeated by you? I killed your father...and now I'll kill you."

Sestros- 4000

Ahran- 4000

"If you say so." Ahran waved his hand over the jewel, glowing sheets of light appearing in front of him in a row of five. "I'm first..." A sixth sheet of light appeared. Glaring at the monster that had killed his mother and sister, the wolf demon motioned to one of the six sheets. "Come forth Stone Guard (1200/1600) in defense!" An elegant stone statue of a woman appeared before him.

Sestros waved his hand calmly over the black jewel, six sheets of black energy appearing in front of him. "Such complete junk. Is this the magic that your family possesses? How pitiful...I was expecting a duel with some power...like when I've battled your father in the past." One of the six sheets of light exploded, a rotted mummy appearing before him. "Regenerating Mummt (1800/1500) attacks your pitiful guard!" Moaning, the rotted corpse stumbled forwards and slashed with its claws, tearing the stone monster apart.

Screaming, Ahran fell to his knees and clutched at his chest as pain tore through his ribs. ("How...it was defending...")

"I'm sure you are wondering why my monster hurt you when your monster when defending. It's because the magic of your seal is under my control, and I prefer my games to have a bit of fun to them. So sorry..." Sestros threw back his head and laughed wildly, his ears drinking in the gasps of pain that came from Rikuo's only remaining offspring.

"I...will...not let...you...get...away with this!" Stumbling to his feet, Ahran waved his hand over the jewel, a sixth sheet of light appearing next to the other five. "If you believe that I'd bring out my best at first, you're very wrong!" One of the six sheets shimmered out of existence. From within the blue jewel at his wrist, Ahran placed his hand on the crystal and withdrew a glowing mote of light. "Here's a little spell I picked up from, surprisingly, a human mage. It requires that I must sacrifice another spell I have in waiting, but in return I can call forth any weak creature from within my Core."

A metallic scorpion appeared before him, mists wreathing its form. "Awaken my servant! The mighty Doom Scorpion!" (300/200)

The Torture King narrowed his eyes slightly. "This is truly ridiculous...you can't expect something that weak to stand a chance against the great powers that I control, can you?"

"Doom Scorpion is very powerful for a reason." Ahran motioned to another sheet of light, which exploded. The particles from it surrounded the metal creature with a glowing sheen of energy that formed into a giant ballista attached to its back. "Alone Doom Scorpion cannot defeat anything, but with this magical enhancement it can defeat everything. When battling against a creature more powerful than it, Doom Scorpion can receive the power of one spell I sacrifice to raise its strength by 2500!" Another of the now dwindling number of light sheets in front of Ahran disappeared. "Doom Scorpion, attack Regenerating Mummy with Destruction Harpoon!"

Hissing, the scorpion aimed the ballista and fired a huge bolt that pierced right through the undead monster. Letting out one moan of pain, the Regenrating Mummy was destroyed. This quickly reflected on Sestros, as the Torture King gritted his teeth and tried to ignore the fact that there was a huge hole in his chest.

Sestros- 3000

Ahran- 4000

Spitting out the blood that clogged his throat, the Torture King waved his hand over the black jewel at his wrist and added another spell to his current ones at ready. "You're definitely like your father...a pain in the ass. However, unlike him I'll destroy him without losing my life."

Snarling at the constant disrespect that his deceased father was being given, Ahran flexed his claws. His mood reflected in the actions of the Doom Scorpion, which chittered uneasily. "Silence..."

"Or you'll what, insolent cur!?" Sestros roared out, the seal quivering from his sudden extension of power. "I cannot be defeated by the likes of you. Just watch and see. First though, I must gain some extra power to fuel my sacrifice." One of the six sheets in front of him shattered.

Letting out a single pained screech, the Doom Scorpion collapsed to the ground. From within its chitinous armor, white mist flowed out and around the Torture King's hand. "You see Ahran...I find it quite hilarious that your whole bloodline has been such a constant problem for my plans. Well, unfortunately for you, I long ago prepared for my death at the hands of your treacherous father." The white mist had collected into a ball at the tip of his finger. "And all that's left is you...his soft-hearted and weak little son."

"You killed my sister and mother...." Ahran's fists clenched tighter, and his amber eyes pulsed in the same rate as his heart. "Just ask me how soft-hearted I feel like being now...and I'll tell you to burn in the deepest pits of hell!"

Sestros blew gently on the ball of white ectoplasm, which floated over and was sucked up into one of the middle sheets of light. "Now you're just wasting your breath, whelp. I sacrifice the soul of your monster, as well as the souls of two other servants under my command..." Two other sheets of light shattered to reveal two more balls of ectoplasm. Each were yanked into the same one as the first ball, and with one loud crack the sheet shattered to reveal a towering blue-skinned demon holding a leather whip with one large metal spike at the end in its claws. "...to summon my ultimate beast. A monster whose skills were so masterful that I decided he should be named after something befitting his power. Torture King (2800/3000) is here!"

Cackling crazily, the monster cracked the whip on the ground. "Unfortunately, the spell I used to sacrifice the soul of your creature prevents me from attacking for now." The last two sheets of light lowered themselves down behind the monster. "I place these spells in preparation..."

Ahran growled a little louder, his hand waving over the blue crystal and a single sheet of light appearing in front of him, next to the rest. "I will not fear you, or your creatures. They are no threat to me!"

"Keep telling yourself that, little pup." Sestros rumbled coldly from deep within his chest, the air slowly freezing as if to reflect the dark intentions in his soul. "It will make your sealing away all the sweeter for me."

("He thinks that I'll fold in the face of such a monster. How wrong he is.") Ahran motioned to one of the three sheets in front of him, which pulsed and faded from view. "This spell has the power to let me sacrifice the souls of my dead creatures to add more spells from my Core to my immediate preparation." Four more sheets of light appeared in front of him. "And now I have more options to deal with you."

"Options to deal with me?" Sestros spat onto the ground. "Don't make me laugh! Or did you think that these two spells I have lying in wait were simply bluffs." A black clawed arm exploded out of the ground with a ball of black energy in its grasp. "One of my two spells was a personal favorite of mine. I call it Knowledge from the Underworld, and it works whenever you try and delve into the grave to make use of the monsters there. Whatever benefits you get, I also get." Four sheets of light appeared in front of the Torture King. "See? I am very well prepared for you."

"Perhaps you might be, but I'm also prepared for you!" Ahran motioned to one of the screens of light, which shattered. A little puffball of brown fur appeared in front of him. "Kuriboh (300/200) comes forth on the defensive. Also, I call out the enchantment known as Healing Spring!" A white ivory fountain with an angel statue on top of it appeared. "With it, I will be healed every time one of your monsters attack me."

"Healing? From an Amero?" Sestros raised an eyebrow slightly, showing no other signs of emotion now. The hole in his chest had long since healed.

"Yes, for unlike my father I learned that perhaps brute force is not always the best way to win a battle." Ahran waved his hand over at two more sheets, both of which appeared on each side of the fountain. "I set these spells in preparation. That's it...you're up."

The Torture King narrowed his eyes appraisingly. ("Perhaps I evaluated his skills too soon. So far, he's been playing with the kind of skill that Rikuo has used. Of course...it doesn't matter. I am the king, and the king never loses!") Another sheet of light appeared next to the four before him. "I'll begin with this monster. Come out Hell Jester!" (800/500) A corpse dressed in bright colors with bells all over it appeared. "Its ability will force one creature under your control to come out of defense."

Ahran frowned as his Kuriboh squealed in anger and puffed up its fur, ready to battle with opponents it could not possibly defeat.

"Now Hell Jester, attack his Kuriboh now!" The corpse cackled crazily and threw a bomb made out of bone at the monster. Right before the attack hit though, the little furball shuddered and split into two equal sized copies of itself. Within the span of a few milliseconds the monster had become at least a hundred copies of itself.

Ignoring the earth-shaking explosion that accompanied the bomb blast, Ahran chuckled and motioned to his suddenly Kuriboh filled field. "A little trick I picked up from an old scroll. Apparently with the right magical influence these little creatures can become quote troublesome to my opponent."

Sestros- 3000

Ahran- 4500

Sestros motioned to another sheet of light, which floated down onto the ground. "I place one spell in preparation. This turn is done."

Ahran motioned to his crystal, another sheet of light appearing next to his remaining two. "Come out...."

_Here lies the last living member of the Amero blood-line..._

_He fell defending the honor of his father..._

_Unlike his father, he possessed a heart of purity and kindness..._

_Yet when needed, he was just as ferocious as the demon he shared his blood with..._

_Here lies Ahran Amero, son of Rikuo Amero._

Rikuo closed his eyes and bowed his head, his hatred of the late Kilomet Sestros multiplied infinitely now. ("My son...I lost you to a monster that was my own to defeat. Damn you Sestros....damn you and your ritual of splintered life.") If it hadn't had been for that, Ahran would have lived to this day and the pure original Amero blood-line would have lived on. ("It isn't that I hate Jasmine or Erika...but I miss my old life. It's stupid and sentimental...but I want back that which was stolen from me by Sestros.")

The burial site for Ahran had, whether by coincidence or not, was actually located on the island of Duelist's Academy. Rikuo knew about the burial site's location, but he had never bothered to come to it. When he found out that it was located here though...

("I am truly alone in this world. Jasmine and Jourgen are the only connections to my past life...and neither of them can truly tell me what I wanted to know so badly.") Tilting back his head, the wolf demon howled into the night. He howled for the son he had lost, and for the life that he never got to live.

Not too far away, a single black-cloaked form watched him quietly. _("The master may wish to know of this. It seems to be quite important.")_

**_("I already know...")_** A booming voice echoed to the mental ears of the specter. **_("This will prove to be very helpful, if used correctly. Find the Sealed Crystal that is most likely within the burial site. I wish to know who was the one who lost that battle.")_**

_("As you command.")_ Silently, the specter faded out of existence and entered the realm of darkness.

Coldness was his only accompanying feeling. ("How long have I been here? Has it been an eternity yet? I wish to be freed...and my patience wears thin.") Time barely had any meaning for the trapped soul. All he was sure of was that he'd been within this seal for far too long.

_("I can offer you salvation. All it requires is that you pledge your allegiance to my lord.")_ The specter stepped forwards, black tendrils of energy rippling around its form.

Struggling weakly against the phantom chains that held it in bondage, the soul snarled. "Who are you? Why do you offer me help?"

_("I offer you help because your skills interest my lord and master. Also, I offer you a chance to destroy the one demon who you hate above all others.")_ The specter wafted like a light smoke around the chained form, whispering calmly into his ear.

"A chance to destroy the one demon I hate above all others?" Kilomet Sestros, despite his current physical atrophy, smiled darkly. "Tell your master that I accept his offer."

Nodding, the specter reached out and with casual ease slashed through the chains with its nails. "There are a few things that you must get into your possession before challenging Amero."

"Such as what?" The Torture King stretched his muscles, each of his withered limbs quickly regaining mass as his strength returned to him. "I have my Core...that should be enough."

"Not have not been used for over four thousand years. However..." The specter began to explain things, with every intention in mind to make sure that this splintered soul destroyed Rikuo Amero.

_Adriel drew. "Mohistava...I have my eyes set on Sammy Coffin...and you will not deny me that which I want!" His blood pounding in his ears, the dragon duelist slammed a card into his disk and followed up with another that went onto it. "I play Premature Burial! This will allow me to revive one monster from my graveyard at the cost of 800 life points! Also, I summon Spear Dragon (1900/0) in attack mode!" A blue-nosed armless dragon appeared on his field, and then next to it the phantasmal shape of his Gemini Dragon Wings appeared. "And since I just summoned two dragon monsters, Grand Emperor Dragon gains attack points!" (3500/2500)_

_Griff- 2600_

_Adriel- 3600_

_Griff grimaced as he suddenly was in the 'about to be destroyed' zone. "You play strong..."_

"_There's no other way to do it! Gemini Dragon Wings, Spear Dragon, and Grand Emperor Dragon now attack your Scapegoat!" The three dragons each released their respective attacks, blowing away the three remaining colored furballs. "Spear Dragon deals damage through defense, so you lose life points!"_

_Griff- 700_

_Adriel- 3600_

_The Tyrant Dragon lowered its head and sprayed the defense mode monster with fire, instantly decimating it. "And now the special ability of Tyrant Dragon lets it attack again. Farewell, Mohistava!" Growling, the Tyrant Dragon charged up another ball of fire within its jaws._

"Open face-down card! Go Confusion Amongst the Ranks!" One of Griff's three face-down cards disappeared. "Thanks to this continuous trap card I can defend myself by sacrificing one set magic or trap card. This allows me to order one monster on your field to defend me against a direct attack!" Howling, Adriel's Spear Dragon leapt through the air and caught the fire-ball right on the nose.

Frowning, the dragon duelist slid the single remaining card in his hand into his duel disk. "You're only delaying the inevitable Mohistava. Nothing your pitiful deck has can stop my army of mighty dragons. So I set one card face-down and give the turn to you."

Griff drew and slid the Pharaoh's Treasure card into his graveyard. "Then I draw my trap card, which is sent to my graveyard. Now I can take any card in my graveyard instead." He withdrew his stack of graveyard pile cards, looked them over, and then nodded at the sight of one near the top. "This card will be more than enough to finish you off."

"Don't joke..." Adriel waved his hand dismissively. "I saw every card you've played so far, and none of them could have been powerful enough to make the difference now."

"What about a card I got from you?" Griff slid the card into his disk. "I activate the Snatch Steal equipment magic card to take control of your Grand Emperor Dragon." Letting out one confused roar, the mighty gold-scaled dragon floated over to join its new master on the field. "Now how about a taste of your own medicine jerk!? Solar Stream!" Opening its jaws, the Grand Emperor Dragon released a wave of solar energy that utterly destroyed the Tyrant Dragon.

Griff- 700

Adriel- 3000

Allowing himself a slight smile for such a brilliant play, Griff returned the dismissive wave he had received a short while earlier. "End turn."

Reigning in his anger, Adriel drew. "I...will not let...you make a fool of me!" One look at the card told him that any fears he might have felt were now gone. "First I'll gain 1000 life points thanks to the effect of Snatch Steal."

Griff- 700

Adriel- 4000

"And then I'll set one card face-down on the field and switch Gemini Dragon Wings into defense mode." The phantasmal dragon wings folded in one themselves to create a glowing ball of light. "End turn."

("This is great! At this rate I'll earn just as great of a reputation as Ichigo amongst the other students!") Drawing, Griff gave the card one glance and then pointed at the Gemini Dragon Wings. "Grand Emperor Dragon will now..."

"...return to the ownership of its true master." Adriel tapped a pair of buttons on his duel disk. "First I activate this trap card called Sealed Dragon Release! This can only activate on a dragon monster that has an equipment magic card attached to it. That equipment magic card will be destroyed and the dragon's attack points will be doubled!" Another roar exploded out of the mouth of the Grand Emperor Dragon as it returned to Adriel's field. (7000/2500)

Gemini Dragon Wings disappeared, replaced by the towering body of the Tyrant Dragon. "My second trap card was Call of the Haunted, which lets me special summon one monster from my graeyard to the field. That triggers Tyrant Dragon's special ability, which requires me to sacrifice one dragon monster on my field when I bring it back from the graveyard." The golden aura of energy increased in size as the Grand Emperor Dragon drew in more attack points from another dragon being summoned to the field. (7500/2500)

It took Griff a few seconds to pull his jaw back into his mouth, but when he did he managed to keep some of his dignity. ("This is bad. He just got back his two best monsters...and now I'm toast.") Glancing at his set card, the Egyptian duelist slid it into his duel disk and motioned to another of his set cards. "I set one card face-down and reveal Monster Reborn! This magic card will revive one creature from any graveyard to the field under my control." The burly form of Gorg the Strong reappeared on the field in a crouching position. (1800/1500) "End turn."

Adriel drew. "It was nice knowing you, Mohistava. I set one card face-down and then attack with Tyrant Dragon!" The towering dragon opened its jaws and sprayed out a burst of fire that tore across the field to blow away Gorg.

"Not so fast Adriel, I'm not done yet! Open face-down card, Elaborate Trap!" A complex series of machines appeared on the field. Each one caught the burst of fire and through a different assortment of strange methods bounced it along until finally the attack was heading back across the field to slam into the chest of the Grand Emperor Dragon. "Elaborate Trap lets me negate one attack and permanently drain that attack point total from the amount of another monster on your field." (4600/2500)

("Why that little...") Adriel tried to control the twitching of his right eye, while slowly raising his hand to point at Gorg the Strong. "Solar...Stream!" Opening its jaws, the Grand Emperor Dragon released a wave of solar energy that ripped across the field and blew Gorg apart. "End...turn..." Clenching his fists, the dragon duelist looked somewhat like Eri does when she wants to kill something.

("Sheesh...he definitely has got it in for me. I gotta turn this around quickly.") Griff looked down at his deck, and took a deep breath. ("Now the question is what will my deck give me in this draw.")

From behind the bushes where she had been watching the duel, Sammy was biting her lower lip at the sheer intensity of this moment. ("Come on Griff...I know you can win this!")

"Give it up Mohistava." Adriel took a deep breath to clear his head of all murderous thoughts. "You know that nothing you have will turn this around in time. My mighty dragons will completely destroy you next turn no matter what you play."

That reinforced Griff's every desire to win this duel. ("I'll show this Obelisk Blue jerk that the way to win a duel cannot be determined simply by what's on the field.") He drew. ("A good start, but not enough yet.") His hand tapped a button on his disk. "I reveal my face-down trap card! Go Careless Avarice! Now I can draw two cards from my deck, but I may not draw during my next two turns!" Sliding the first card off of his deck, Griff looked at it and grew just a little more hopeful. ("One more draw.") His hand reached down...

Sammy didn't realize she had been holding her breath until a wave of dizziness sent her stumbling back a bit. When her hand shot down to stop herself from crashing onto her butt and ruining her good dress, she heard something break. Gulping, she looked down to see that her hand had broken some kind of round clay disc about the size of her palm. ("Oh no...") Her worry turned into confusion as the remains of the disk blew apart into dust. ("Errr.....what?")

The second card left Griff's deck, came up to his eyes...and then he felt it. It was a tingle of energy that made him want to put the card right back on top of his deck. ("Please don't be...") One look at the card told him everything he needed to know. ("Oh crap...why me?")

Raising an eyebrow at the sudden look of fear that Mohistava expressed, Adriel snickered and waited for his opponent to declare this game over. ("My purpose is too pure...I cannot lose.")

Praying he wasn't about to find out he was cursed, Griff took a different card from his hand and slapped it onto his disk. "I summon Stone Charm (1200/1700) to the field in attack mode!" A strange little statue appeared on his field. "When I summon this monster to the field in attack mode, I may draw one card from my deck for every monster under your control." He added two more cards to his hand. ("I may as well play this duel out. It isn't like me losing could be any worse that whatever this card could give me.")

He slammed one card into his disk. "I'll start this off with a little gambling. I play the magic card Risky Infiltration! Now I call one card name, and then you draw the top five cards of your deck. If the card I named is one of the five, then I draw until I have six cards in my hand. If I'm wrong, then I lose half of my life points."

("He'll never pull it off. There's no way that drop-out can guess what cards are in my deck.") The dragon duelist placed his hand on his deck eagerly.

"I call Masked Dragon!" Griff knew he was risking a lot on a gamble, but it was that or lose.

Adriel slid five cards off of his deck, fanned them out in front of his face, and then turned pale white at the sight of the middle card. ("Masked...Dragon.")

Taking a deep breath and then exhaling, Griff smiled slyly. "By the disgusted look on your face, I'm sure that I am completely correct in my guess." Drawing three more cards, the Egyptian duelist knew that this didn't clinch the match for him, but it did give him the necessary advantage to turn this around.

Shuffling his deck, Adriel wondered just how lucky someone had to be to take a complete shot in the dark and still come out on top. ("Apparently very lucky, because Mohistava is one of those people.")

"Hey Eri, did your card have any text on it explaining why you were cursed?" Ichigo yawned and sank into the cushy bedding of the demoness' bed. "Also, why do you girls get the really nice beds?"

"No and because we're smarter than you are." Frowning, Eri ran his metal comb through his hair to try and get it to straighten out like Ichigo's. ("Damn this stupid curse to hell!") A low growl escaped his throat and he started to consider different potential ways to kill Ichigo and solve this entire problem.

Ichigo sensed that she was being plotted against though, and spoke out the mantra that she had memorized in her heart. "Love and peace, Eri. Love and peace."

Despite his every wish to kill the insolent hanyou, Eri couldn't resist the soothing tingles that came from the choker around his neck. ("Damn it all...I can't even...") Blushing furiously at the purring that he knew was coming from him, the demon grabbed a bottle of conditioner and peacefully threw it at Ichigo's head.

Yelping at the projectile that struck her in the side of the head, Ichigo responded in the way she knew best. Immediate retaliation. "Down boy!"

Eri's eyes widened as he suddenly found himself pressed flat to the ground. ("Damn this stupid choker...and damn you Ichigo Pilkington!")

Rubbing the spot where a bruise would eventually develop, Ichigo walked over and crossed her arms across her chest while looking down at the floored Eri. "You really need to learn to relax. Who knows, maybe this party will be fun?"

"This party will not be the slightest bit fun. In fact, I wish that one of us would suffer a horrible accident so that neither of us had to go," Eri tried to sound threatening, but it didn't really pass considering his face was pressed into the carpet.

Rikuo sighed and stood up, brushing off his jeans and white muscle shirt. ("I'd better go get dressed for this party.") His opinion on the party may have been a bit sour, but he had good reason for not liking it. ("One, my little princess is going out on a date with someone. Two, I don't like parties. Three...I don't want to be a stinking chaperone.")

In an attempt to appease the higher-ups of the academy, Rikuo offered his services to try and work off the damages that he had caused when he had gone on his little rampage. ("But I don't want to watch a bunch of stinking humans. It's bad enough that I have to tolerate their presence on my planet, but now I have to make sure that none of them get too 'rowdy'? Oh joy of joys...") Giving one last wistful look at the burial stone, the wolf demon started on his way back.

Or so he tried. But a sudden rush of dark energy caught his senses and brought him spinning around to growl at the rock. ("Darkness realm energies...") A few cracks appeared in the surface of the stone. ("And not just a little either. It's definitely a lot of power.") The cracks widened, black smoke spraying out of them.

And then the black-cloaked form of the specter appeared next to the now shuddering stone. "Greetings Rikuo Amero. I am Malice." It bowed slightly. "I am here to challenge you to a darkness game."

"Keh! I should have known." Cracking his knuckles, Rikuo reached behind his back and removed the duel disk that hung from it by a black leather strap. "I'd be glad to burn off some steam with a darkness game. Let's begin."

"Not yet." Malice motioned to the stone, which had crumbled apart. "First I must introduce your opponent in this duel."

The wolf demon smirked and inserted his deck into the appropriate disk slot. "So you've arranged for me to have a playmate? I'm fine with that."

The form within the area where the stone had once been stretched his muscles and took in a few breathes of the sweet air. "That was always one of your problems Mutt. You never knew when to say no to darkness games." Kilomet Sestros popped some kinks out of his neck, while the darkness began to gather around the three of them.

As soon as his eyes laid upon the form of his ex-lord, Rikuo felt whatever stress-relieving factors that had been originally part of this game disappear. "You're supposed to be banished from existence, sealed away within the body of Valeus."

"Actually, your son challenged me to a Seal duel and locked me away for five thousand years." The Torture King breathed out a few puffs of black smoke, which were remainders of darkness realm energy that he had absorbed since his imprisonment. "Thanks to that, I avoided your cheap little trick that destroyed the rest of my other selves."

Spitting onto the dirt, Rikuo clicked his duel disk into place. "Say what you will Sestros, because if you were sealed away until just this moment then you can't hope to defeat me in a duel or in real life. I've rediscovered my lost powers, and thank to that I'm far stronger than anything you could possibly have up your slimy sleeve."

"So you say, my weak little weapon." Sestros lifted his arm, showing his bone and flesh duel disk as it locked into place. "Though I doubt you're anything but lucky. By the way, I know all about your secret weapon."

Rikuo grimaced at the mention of something he would rather forget. "Fenrir is not my weapon. It's a creature I'd prefer to forget."

"That's enough, it's time to begin this duel." Malice's form shifted as his black robes changed into a dark green set of robes, and his dead face came into view. "My master cannot accept failure."

Sestros- 4000

Rikuo- 4000

Muttering something under his breath, Rikuo drew five cards off of his deck. "How the mighty have fallen, eh Sestros? Just look at yourself, taking orders from a corpse."

Chuckling, the Torture King streched his muscles out and drew five cards off of his soul deck. "It's better to be taking orders from a corpse than spending eternity trapped in that seal. If you'd have spent five thousand years in there, you'd agree with me."

"I'd never agree with you on anything." Rikuo drew, his hair blowing in the winds of the darkness realm. "Now then, I start with Bronze Wind-up Knight (500/500) in defense mode." A doll-sized mechanical bronze knight appeared on the field in a crouching position.

"You said that you were stronger than before." Sestros shook his head, already having looked over his five cards and knowing what his strategy was going to be. "But if that weak piece of trash is your best then what's the point?"

"The point is my magic card Machine Duplication." Rikuo slid another card from his hand imto his disk. "I can use it on a machine monster with 500 or less attack points. When I do, I may special summon monsters from my deck with the same name as that creature." His deck spat out two cards, which he slapped onto his disk. "So I summon two more Bronze Wind-up Knights in defense mode." Nw he had three of the little machine monsters on his field. "Then I set two cards face-down. End turn."

Sestros drew. "Interesting, my little weapon. Is this some kind of makeshift defense?"

The wolf demon smiled slightly, making it known that he had something in mind. "Come and find out."

"I will." The Torture King took a card from his hand and slammed it down onto his disk. "I summon Blood King (2000/1500) in attack mode!" An eight foot tall blood-red monster wearing stone armor appeared on the field. "Attack one of his Bronze Wind-up Knights now!" Throwing back its head, the demon monster roared and prepped itself to charge right into Rikuo's knight.

Snapping his fingers, the wolf demon threw Sestros a little wink. "Watch this Sestros, I'm about to finish you off right now." One of his two set cards flipped up. "I reveal the trap card System Upgrade!" Two of the Bronze Wind-up Knights disappeared. "By returning any number of machine monsters from my field to my hand, I can then special summon that same number from my deck. The only stipulation is that the exchanged monsters must have two words in their titles that the summoned monsters will have." A silver machine knight and a gold machine knight appeared on his field. "Silver Wind-up Knight (1000/1000) and Gold Wind-up Knight (1500/1500)

in attack mode!"

"What does it matter? I declared that my target would be Bronze Wind-up Knight and that's exactly what it is going to be." Sestros flexed his chest to try and get more blood to flow through limbs that had stood still for over five thousand years.

"I'm not done yet!" Rikuo's other card flipped up. "Activate Magnetic Armor!" The three toy knights shuddered and exploded into pieces that formed together to create one huge glittering toy knight. "This continuous trap card immediately fuses all machine monsters on my field that can do so. Also, it increases the attack points of their fusion by double!" (6000/3000) "And using the last effect of the armor, I will choose to sacrifice it at the end of my turn to force one monster on your field to attack my Super Toy Knight!" The wolf demon smirked coldly. "Game over."

"Not yet it's not!" Sestros literally tossed one of his hand cards into the graveyard. "By discarding this Kuriboh (300/200) from my hand I can negate one source of battle damage to my life points!" Though the Super Toy Knight slashed straight through his Blood King, his life points were unaffected.

Rikuo grimaced angrily at the waste of his trap card. ("Oh well, I still have a 3000 attacker out on the first turn.")

The Torture King knew that this didn't change what his plan was. "I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

Rikuo drew. ("I'd love to dismiss Sestros as nothing, but I have a feeling that his strategy is at least as strong as it was the last time we played. Not that it matters, I'll beat him all the same.") "I attack Sestros with Super Toy Knight! Go now!" The mechanical knight monster stomped forwards with its sword raised up high.

Sestros motioned to one of his two set cards, which flipped up. "I activate the trap card Dark Labyrinth. This will lock your monster into a different dimension until it is destroyed." A black door opened up underneath the robot, sucking it out of sight.

Though he didn't seem pleased by the loss of his monster, Rikuo didn't seem angered either. ("Next up I need to get ready for the inevitable attack those two are going to throw at me.") "I set one monster in defense mode, and then I set one card face-down. End turn."

"You expected that? Well then I guess you didn't expect this." Sestros drew and then motioned to his other set card, which flipped up. "Go Dark Labyrinth Return! This will take one monster that is sealed away in the Dark Labyrinth and bring it to the field under my control!" Both of the trap cards shattered, leaving the Super Toy Knight standing on Sestros' field. "Now I play the magic card Monster Reborn, reviving Blood King." The blood-red demon appeared next to the machine knight, only to immediately fade away. "Then I sacrifice Blood King for Torture Machine-Guillotine (0/2500) in attack mode." A guillotine with steel humanoid legs appeared on the field. "When I summon Guilotine, I must sacrifice one monster on the field." The guillotine blade on the monster broke free of its moorings and slashed through the Super Toy Knight. "Now the attack of Guillotine is raised by the number of level stars of the destroyed monster times 500." (4500/2500)

("Oh hell...") Rikuo wasn't so sure about his defenses now.

"Guillotine, attack the Mutt's defensive monster now!" The face-down monster card floated onto the Torture Machine and was cut in half by its blade, revealing one of the two Bronze Wind-up Knights that Rikuo had in his hand.

"I activate my face-down trap card, Scrap Yard!" Rikuo drew four cards off of his deck. "When I lose a machine monster as a result of battle, then I draw one card from my deck for every level star of that creature." Now he had five cards in his hand, and that meant he had plenty of options.

Sestros didn't seem very bothered though. "It won't be enough, fool. I have all the answer to your strategy right here in my hand." He slid the last card he was holding into his disk. "I set a card face-down and end my turn."

Rikuo drew. "Here we go Sestros, I'll rip right through you now! First I play the magic card Magnet Recovery!" There was a flash of light and the Super Toy Knight appeared on his field in defense mode. "This magic card can bring back any machine monster in my graveyard to the field in defense mode. It may not attack. That isn't why I played it though..." The composite machine exploded into its original three units. "I split Super Toy Knight back into Gold, Silver, and Bronze Wind-up Knights!"

"A nice defense, but it won't last you long." Crossing his arms, The Torture King chuckled. "Defense means little to me though. You'll soon fall like all the others."

"Like all the others huh?" Rikuo slid four cards into his duel disk. "For your information, I'm summoning my three monsters to the field in attack mode. I'm also going to set four cards face-down. End turn." His smirk said that he didn't care about whether Sestros attacked or not.

Drawing, Sestros felt a couple of cold shivers run up his spine. ("His power has increased since I last saw him. This could be unpleasant for one of us.") "I play the magic card Hell Blast! This will destroy all monsters on your field and deal you half of their total attack in damage to your life points!" A sharp blast of fire ripped across the field and shattered all of the Wind-up Knights. "Whatever strategy you may have had is now useless!"

Sestros- 4000

Rikuo- 2500

"Are you so sure?" Rikuo cracked his knuckled expectantly. "Then declare your attack and see exactly what I had in mind for you and your Torture Machine."

"Even five thousand years of imprisonment hasn't left me that stupid." Sestros looked like he was about to end his turn. And then his lips curled into a smile. "Reveal face-down continuous trap card, Royal Decree. As long as this card remains on the field, all trap cards except itself are considered useless."

Now Rikuo didn't look anywhere near as confident as he had a few seconds ago. ("........")

"Torture Machine-Guillotine attacks your life points directly. Farewell Mutt!" Laughing crazily, the Torture King pointed at Rikuo. "Now go my precious toy and kill him!"

("I would have hoped it didn't come to this, but so be it!") Rikuo pressed a button on his duel disk, one of his four cards flipping up. "My traps are useless, but my quickplay magic cards are as effective as ever. Activate Junk Screen!" He discarded the last card in his hand, which was the last Bronze Wind-up Knight. "By discarding one machine monster from my hand, I can negate one attack against my life points!"

The Guillotine froze in place, incapable of attacking now.

Snarling, Sestros cracked his knuckles loudly and felt his blood start to pump in his veins. "End turn."

("Looks like he's starting to become much more focused. Good, I want a tough challenge.") Rikuo drew, refusing to believe that he could lose. "I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Drawing, Sestros sneered and snapped the card around. "I play the magic card Death Mist. This will destroy your face-down monster." A black shroud of smoke broke free from the darkness and engulfed the set monster, destroying it. "Now you're wide open, and thanks to my Royal Decree trap card you can't use your traps. It was nice knowing you Mutt. Guillotine, attack his life points directly!" The machine unleashed a wave of chains that wrapped around Rikuo's body and dragged him onto its slab. "Execute him." The guillotine blade fell.

Rikuo didn't flinch as it hurtled down towards him. "Open face-down card..."

_To be continued..._

Author's Notes: Please don't complain about the fact these chapters aren't anywhere near as fast as my normal speed. This is my vacation after all, and I don't even have my computer with me. Keep this is mind.

To Darkstar71: The mothers will show up at the party.

To Kitsune Duelist: Actually, yes it is.

To Hogwarts-Knight: You might be seeing too far into things. Then again, maybe not.

To Adriel: Later.

To gohan11: The actual question is whether Ichigo will survive Eri and vice-versa.

To Seeker of the Soul: Indeed, all is well.

To GryphinWyrm7: Same to you dude.

To Bobbomp: Don't complain about the lateness of this chapter. I'm not required to post as fast as I normally do.

To Anime Albino: I agree with you too.

To Lord Raven Drakon: A pansy huh? --;

To G.O.T. Nick: Nothing at all out of the ordinary. This is actually mild.

To Demon fan: All your money huh?

To Kaiser: I know how the actual level-up monsters work, but I very much dislike that system and prefer to use my own.

To Sage Fire Ace: Thank you very much.

To GrizzlyUnderThere: Throwing me out of a window won't help the story very much. Ichigo's deck isn't original eh? Maybe you should explain why it isn't original anymore. Rikuo declaring war on France? Maybe...

To cyberzone: Don't make me go let Mr. Coconut out of his cage.

To Luna's Meow: Believe me, it will be Chaos Incarnate.


	31. A break in the action

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 31: A break in the action

_Drawing, Sestros sneered and snapped the card around. "I play the magic card Death Mist. This will destroy your face-down monster." A black shroud of smoke broke free from the darkness and engulfed the set monster, destroying it. "Now you're wide open, and thanks to my Royal Decree trap card you can't use your traps. It was nice knowing you Mutt. Guillotine, attack his life points directly!" The machine unleashed a wave of chains that wrapped around Rikuo's body and dragged him onto its slab. "Execute him." The guillotine blade fell._

_Rikuo didn't flinch as it hurtled down towards him. "Open face-down card..."_

The blade slammed down onto the wolf demon's neck, detaching his head from his body.

("I got him!") The Torture King threw back his head and laughed wildly. "That's the end of you, Rikuo Amero!"

"Are you so sure?" Rikuo's body flexed its arms and snapped all of the restrictive chains around it. Sliding free from the table, the head-less body reached over and picked up its detached thinking half

Sestros managed to keep his surprise from showing, albeit barely. "What in the hell is this?"

The body readjusted its head to look at the Torture King, its eyes open and mouth smiling. "The card I activated was the quickplay magic card Shadow Double. It cuts my life points in half, but saves me from instantly losing because of life points damage." The body and head blew apart like mist, showing that the real Rikuo was still standing over on his field. "Surprised?"

Sestros- 4000

Rikuo- 1250

"Not really. You're always escaping from sticky situations like this." Sestros popped his neck to help uncramp the muscles. "End turn."

Rikuo drew. "Sticky situation? You must be talking about someone else. There is no situation beyond my control." He glanced at the drawn card and slid it into his disk. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Sestros drew. "You won't be dodging around my attacks for much longer. Come out Torture Machine-Rack (1500/1200) in attack mode!" A rack appeared on the field. "When it is summoned to the field, I may destroy one face-down monster on the field. When I do, my life points go up by the attack of the destroyed creature!" The set monster shuddered and exploded, but Sestros' life points didn't go up. "What!?"

"Don't get it?" Rikuo snickered and waved a single finger in the air teasingly. "My monster didn't have any attack points."

"Don't you dare mock me!!! Guillotine attacks your life points directly!" The machine released another wave of chains that threatened to pull Rikuo onto his death.

Until a bolt of electricity exploded out of the wolf demon's graveyard slot, slamming into the chains and dropping them life less to the ground. "You activated the effect of my Super Electric Turtle! (0/1800) When it is in the graveyard and my opponent declares an attack against me, I may once negate that attack." Rikuo crossed his arms across is chest and sneered while the chains were drawn back into the Guillotine. "Did you really expect that to get across? I'm better than that Sestros."

"Maybe, but have you forgotten about my other Torture Machine!?" The Torture King pointed at Rikuo. "Go and tear him apart!" The Rack began to move forwards, and then stopped as a huge boxing glove attached to a spring appeared out of thin air and slammed into it.

Rikuo motioned to another of his cards, which was now face-up. "You activated my Distraction Device, which can stop one attack from any target."

"End...turn..." Sestros looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel.

Rikuo drew, glanced at the card, and then discarded it. "I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw two cards." Sliding two more cards off of his deck, he grinned enough to reveal both of his fangs. "You're playing style is good, but not good enough. For example, I know exactly how to turn this entire duel around with these two cards. So I set them both face-down and end my turn." From his tone, the wolf demon sounded completely serious.

Sestros drew. "I hope you don't expect me to fall for your petty bluff. Without trap cards you are incapable of winning any kind of battle." His two Torture Machine rattled in agreement with their master. "Now die!" Both of them released a wave of barbed chains to pull Rikuo into their eager grasp.

And both were stopped cold by a wall of smooth steel. Rikuo yawned and stretched his neck. "You activated my quickplay magic card. It's a little something called Magnetic Barricade. It will negate all face-up trap cards on the field and also allow me to negate any of your attacks that I choose this turn. So I'll negate the attack of your Torture Machine-Rack, but I'll allow your Guillotine to attack me."

A hole opened in the wall, allowing the chains to charge in towards him. "And since Magnetic Barricade negates your Royal Decree trap card, I can activate my trap cards! Go Attack Redirection Armor!" A suit of steel armor shaped like a pair of demonic fangs appeared on the field. "This will change the target of one attack to anything on the field. I'll choose to change the attack's target to your Rack!" The suit of armor flew over to the Torture Machine, with the chains following right behind it. Within a matter of seconds Sestros' monster was gone, with nothing left but splinters of wood.

Sestros- 1000

Rikuo- 1250

The Torture King knew this was just the beginning. ("My life points are nearly gone...and there's no possibility of me defeating him. His skill is too far improved...") The thousands of years he spent in his prison had worn away the resolve that made Kilomet Sestros such a menace to the free world. Without his strength, he was no more than a broken shell.

**_("It's a shame to see how the mighty have fallen.")_** A booming voice echoed in his mind.

("Who are you?") The Torture King may have been tired, but that didn't mean he was unable to keep an air of authority around himself. ("What do you want?")

**_("Who I am should not be your concern at the moment, Kilomet Sestros. If you wish to call me something though, you may refer to me as...")_** The voice went silent in what was apparently deep thought. **_("...Midnight. Yes, that will do for now.")_**

Sestros growled and felt rage flare up in his chest. ("What do you want!?")

**_("It isn't what I want, it's what I can offer you that should be important to you. Thanks to me, all of your desires can come true.")_** The voice sounded soothing.

Unfortunately for it though, Kilomet Sestros was used to being on the giver's end of a deal. ("What's your benefit from it? I very much doubt you'd be doing it out of the kindness of your heart.")

_**("Indeed, you are quite perceptive. My benefit is that I would have your powers to call upon when the time for them is needed.")**_

("Why don't you ask the Mutt? If you have been watching this battle, you could see he is the better candidate.") Sestros couldn't feel more angry at the fact that his 'little weapon' had truly become more powerful than he had.

_**("His heart long ago closed itself to the true evil that can dwell only in the heart of a villain. You, however, are a true monstrosity. Even amongst the worst of my minions you would still stand out as one of the most powerful and malicious. Think about it...I could not only restore the power that you have lost, but I can also increase that energy by more than ten-fold.")**_

("You lie...") To the mind of the Torture King, such an increase in power was impossible.

_**("Do I? You were a self-made villain before. This time though, you'd have someone behind you that would give you all the power you needed to crush everyone who ever challenged you. And when all is said and done, the entire planet would be all yours. I don't want it.")**_

("Prove your power to me then.")

**_("Very well. Observe...")_** All around the two duelists, the earth began to shake. Malice had long since departed. Both demons were thrown to the ground, and then the impossible happened.

Rikuo/Sestros- Darkness game negated

"What!?" Rikuo leapt back to his feet, eyes wide as the darkness around them was replaced by the light of the full moon. "This is..."

His sentence was cut off by the booming laughter that erupted from Sestros' mouth.

"Did I miss something here? How did you negate the darkness game? That's not possible!" Rikuo didn't like this idea one bit. He had just witnessed something that should not have been possible. When you declared a darkness game, it stayed in effect until somebody lost or a draw was determined. For it simply end was not supposed to be possible.

"I see now Midnight...what incredible power." The Torture King came to his feet with a sick smile on his face. "Ah dear Rikuo...I suppose we'll see each other again soon enough. Next time though, expect to lose." A shroud of darkness surrounded him and when it cleared he was gone.

A few minutes later Rikuo left the area with a troubling thought in mind. ("Who is Midnight? And how could they negate a darkness game?")

"Hurry up hanyou, the party starts in an hour and I'd prefer to make sure that we get this part of tonight over with quickly." Eri continued to look out at the waters of the lake while mentally reviewing how Ichigo has acted in these past few days. ("To think I have to act like him. It's the most disgusting thing anyone could ever have me do.") He'd been considering simply making it known about this curse, and then his common sense kicked in. Doing something like that would destroy his reputation completely and utterly. ("I can tolerate acting like him for a night, but having it known that I turn into a male during the evening would be unacceptable.")

Ichigo was going through the same thoughts from behind a cluster of trees. ("Acting like Eri is going to be a pain, but at least it's only for one night. Then uncle Ryu will come with a cure to this curse, I know he will!")

"_Son of light, companion to the moon,"_

"_You exist to ease the pain of others,"_

"_May their burden be yours."_

Snarling, Eri clenched his fists and felt the urge to kill rise up in his chest. ("That card text...I will not...be that hanyou bastard's comfort!!!") The Sword of Lumina card did have text on it, but he refused to tell anyone what it said. ("Unacceptable...unforgivable...") Taking a deep breath, he cleared his mind of all clouding thoughts. "Let's get this stupid party over with."

"You're a let-down, you know that right?" Ichigo walked over and placed an arm around Eri's shoulders. "Try and enjoy yourself tonight."

"Remove your arm before I tear it off and beat you with it." Eri narrowed his eyes and cracked his knuckles, while Ichigo quickly complied. "And this will not be the slightest bit fun. I hate parties...and I hate you. It's because of you that I'm..." He bit his tongue to stop himself from giving away too much.

"It's because of me that you're what?" Ichigo crossed her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

Eri twisted his head to the side and huffed indignantly.

Ichigo smiled slyly and took a couple of steps back. Snapping up something that she had in her hand, she looked it over and gasped.

Eri blinked a few times in surprise, until he realized that Ichigo had pick-pocketed the Sword of Lumina off of his person. "You little..." Whatever he had intended to say was cut off as the card was flicked to him.

"Eri..." Ichigo closed her eyes and kept her head down. "I'm sorry. I can't believe that you have become involved in this because of me. Please accept my deepest apologies." She fell to her knees and bowed her head until it touched the ground.

This was completely different than what Eri had expected Ichigo to do. ("Excuses I can handle, but a flat-out apology is just...") He had no idea what to say. "Um...well..."

Snapping her fingers, Ichigo hopped back onto her feet and threw the other wolf a little wink. "Let me at least make things easier."

Eri heard something click from around his neck, and felt a slight pressure disappear. Looking down, he saw something that he'd never have expected to get away from. "The choker...it's off." Reaching down, he picked up the velvet item and stared at it skeptically. ("There has to be some kind of catch. Why would he just let me go?")

"Come on Eri, let's get this party over and done with." Ichigo turned and walked off, leaving a completely puzzled Eri to try and figure out what to say.

_The second card left Griff's deck, came up to his eyes...and then he felt it. It was a tingle of energy that made him want to put the card right back on top of his deck. ("Please don't be...") One look at the card told him everything he needed to know. ("Oh crap...why me?")_

_Raising an eyebrow at the sudden look of fear that Mohistava expressed, Adriel snickered and waited for his opponent to declare this game over. ("My purpose is too pure...I cannot lose.")_

_Praying he wasn't about to find out he was cursed, Griff took a different card from his hand and slapped it onto his disk. "I summon Stone Charm (1200/1700) to the field in attack mode!" A strange little statue appeared on his field. "When I summon this monster to the field in attack mode, I may draw one card from my deck for every monster under your control." He added two more cards to his hand. ("I may as well play this duel out. It isn't like me losing could be any worse that whatever this card could give me.")_

_He slammed one card into his disk. "I'll start this off with a little gambling. I play the magic card Risky Infiltration! Now I call one card name, and then you draw the top five cards of your deck. If the card I named is one of the five, then I draw until I have six cards in my hand. If I'm wrong, then I lose half of my life points."_

_("He'll never pull it off. There's no way that drop-out can guess what cards are in my deck.") The dragon duelist placed his hand on his deck eagerly._

"_I call Masked Dragon!" Griff knew he was risking a lot on a gamble, but it was that or lose._

_Adriel slid five cards off of his deck, fanned them out in front of his face, and then turned pale white at the sight of the middle card. ("Masked...Dragon.")_

_Taking a deep breath and then exhaling, Griff smiled slyly. "By the disgusted look on your face, I'm sure that I am completely correct in my guess." Drawing three more cards, the Egyptian duelist knew that this didn't clinch the match for him, but it did give him the necessary advantage to turn this around._

_Shuffling his deck, Adriel wondered just how lucky someone had to be to take a complete shot in the dark and still come out on top. ("Apparently very lucky, because Mohistava is one of those people.")_

Griff knew that this entire dueling situation was not easily said, but he knew that there was only one chance for him to turn this around completely. "Now I play the magic card Power Loop! This card requires that I discard two cards to fuel its awesome power." He shoved two cards from his hand into his graveyard slot and a glowing circle of yellow light appeared around him. "Now you cannot attack me during your next turn, and at the start of my next turn I draw five cards from my deck. Of course, all monsters I draw will be discarded and I'll lose three hundred life points for each discarded monster. End turn." This was a big gamble, but he was up for it.

Adriel drew. "That was an interesting play that you just made. So you hope to draw magic and trap cards capable of taking out the rest of my life points? Foolish drop-out boy." He snapped the card over. "If you want to draw, then so will I! Go Dragon's Horde! By sacrificing one dragon monster on my field, I can draw one card from my deck for each of its level stars." The Tyrant Dragon faded away, and the dragon duelist slid eight cards off of his deck. "The only downside to my magic card is that I must end my turn immediately." ("It also gives me one other effect, but you'll find that out soon enough.")

Griff nodded solemnly and drew five cards from his deck. One look at them and he discarded two. "I lose 600 life points." Now he had six cards in his hand.

Griff- 100

Adriel- 4000

Every fiber in the Edyptian duelist's being wanted him to not do what he was about to do. ("If I play that card...and it slaps some kind of horrible curse on me...") His normally unfallible confidence was waning fast.

("Come on Griff, I know you can win!") Sammy shivered at the tension that held in the air like a visible thing. ("Please....win for my sake!")

A tingle ran up Griff's spine, and suddenly his blood was pounding in his veins. ("What am I so worried about? This will be a piece of cake!") He grabbed one card from his hand and flipped it around. "First I play the magic card Gnome's Earth-shattering Mallet!" A little midget in a green suit appeared on the field. "By discarding two cards from my hand, I can destroy your Grand Emperor Dragon and your set card!" The midget produced a hammer ten times it size from out of nowhere and squashed both the golden-scaled dragon and the set card. "So take that, jerk!"

("No...my greatest monster.") Adriel growled low in his throat. As soon as his turn came about he was going to destroy Mohistava with the cards he had drawn.

The tingles that he had felt before were much stronger now, and Griff knew that something was wrong. ("Well I played that card, so what's the problem? What horrible thing have I been turned into?") Looking down at his hands, he didn't see anything wrong. ("Maybe it's all in my head?") "I end my turn by setting the last three cards in my hand face-down and attacking your life points directly with Stone Charm!" The stone monster held still, not responding to its master's order.

"I forget to mention the other special power of Dragon's Horde, didn't I?" Adriel snickered and drew. "When I play it, you cannot attack me during your next turn." That meant that since Griff had no other moves to play, it was Adriel's turn automatically. "For my first play the magic card Polymerization!" He slid it and two cards from his hand into the graveyard. "By fusing Rare Metal Dragon (2400/1200) and Element Dragon (1500/1200) together to create Rare Element Dragon!" (2600/1500) A long-necked silver dragon appeared on the field. "Now then, let's get ready for my assault. I set three cards face-down on the field and then play the quickplay magic card Chrono Skip. This will allow me to activate my set cards right away if they are traps. Also, it reduces the attack of all monsters on your field by 500 points." (700/1400) "Now Rare Element Dragon, attack his Stone Charm and wipe out the rest of his life points!" The creature opened its jaws, showing a glowing ball of golden fire that it had ready.

"I'm not out yet, or have you forgotten that I have face-down cards!?" Griff motioned to his middle card, which flipped up. "Go Mirage Magic!" His Stone Charm turned complete shades of black and white. "This will negate your attack and give me life point gain equal to the attack of your monster." The ball of fire was caught and destroyed, the energy from it getting sucked into his duel disk.

Griff- 2700

Adriel- 4000

Frowning, Adriel clenched his fists and glared at his three face-down cards. ("I was expecting some kind of trap...not a magic card. I used Chrono Skip for nothing!") "End turn!"

"What's the matter Adriel? Don't like running into face-down defenses? Not many people do." Griff drew. "I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Adriel drew. "I think you're overestimating the power of your cards. If you haven't noticed yet, I have more cards in total than you do. What are you going to do when you run out of traps?" He lifted his hand and pointed at the set monster. "Rare Element Dragon will now attack the monster you set face-down!" Roaring, the dragon opened its jaws and released a spray of silver fire that rolled across the field towards Griff's set monster.

Until a trapdoor opened up underneath the monster and sucked it out of sight. "A trap I assume? Well I have a trap for that trap. Reveal Dragon's Bead! By discarding one card from my hand I can negate any trap card that targets a dragon monster on my field. Also since it is a continuous trap it will stick around to give me the necessary bonus to use against you." In a flash of light the Rare Element Dragon appeared on the field, free of whatever trap Griff had in wait for it. Letting out a single snarl, it picked up where it left off and blew the face-down monster apart. "End turn."

Griff drew, closing his eyes to try and ward off the sudden dizziness assaulting his senses. ("What's the matter with me? Actually the better question is what did that stupid card do to me?") Falling to one knee, he knew that this duel was going to end soon. Whether it was by him passing out or by him defeating Adriel though had yet to be determined. "I...end...my...turn."

"You look tired. Maybe you should take a breather?" Adriel drew. "Then again...you're going to get a chance to take a breath in just a few seconds. Rare Element Dragon, attack Stone Charm now!" Another blast of fire exploded from the dragon's mouth and blew Griff's last creature apart. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

The Egyptian duelist felt more pain bolt through his body. ("What's happening to me!?') After a few shuddering breathes he drew. ("This is crazy...why do things like this happen to me?")

("Griff...what's wrong?") Sammy peeked out of the bushes and shivered at the obvious pain on Griff's face. ("Why are you in pain?")

Adriel knew that divine retribution was his. Mohistava was suffering for daring to stand in his way. "Give up and the pain will go away."

"No...chance." He could barely see straight, but Griff wasn't going to give up. "I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Adriel drew slowly, a cold smile across his face. "So be it then. Suffer like a loser. First I'll make sure that whatever plans you had will be useless." He slid a card into his disk and the Rare Element Dragon leapt across the field and brought its foot down onto the Confusion Amongst the Ranks card. "By playing my Stamping Destruction magic card, I can destroy a magic or trap card and drain your life of 500 points."

Griff- 2200

Adriel- 4000

Snickering at the glazed look in Griff's eyes, Adriel threw down his next card. "I summon Masked Dragon (1400/1100) in attack mode." A red and white scaled dragon appeared on the field. "Rare Element Dragon, attack his defense monster and open him up for the end of the game!" Roaring, the dragon unleashed a spray of flames that consumed the monster. "Your chances of winning just became zero."

"Actually," Griff's glazed eyes lit up. "You did just what I was hoping for. Activate the effect of the monster you destroyed." The Rare Element Dragon howled in pain and disappeared. "You attacked my Gravekeeper's Guard (1000/1900) and when it is flipped up I may send one monster on the field back to its owner's hand. Since the Rare Element Dragon is a fusion, it disappears back into the fusion deck."

"You should have gone after my Masked Dragon, because it is the creature that is about to attack your life points directly!" Adriel pointed at his revived opponent. "Attack now!" Letting out a single screech, the monster spat out a fireball that knocked Griff backwards. "And at that I end my turn."

Griff- 800

Adriel- 4000

Griff drew, wishing he could ignore the pounding that was going on his head. ("It's now or never. Do or die...") "I play the magic card Sand Twister! This will only work if I have no monsters on the field. It'll destroy all cards on the field, though they'll return at end of the turn." A wall of sand blew across the field and consumed everything. "Of course I can't summon anything this turn, but that isn't why I used Sand Twister. I used it because of the special ability of the monster card I'm holding. It's called Desert Hellcat." (2500/1900) "Though it normally requires two sacrifices to summon, I can summon it out without any sacrifices if there are no cards on the field. Thanks to that, I can summon a monster and attack you." A sand-colored wildcat appeared on the field in front of him. "Take this! Desert Hellcat attacks your life points directly!"

Adriel didn't even get a chance to yell in surprise before he was bowled over by five hundred pounds of digital cat.

Griff- 800

Adriel- 1500

Torn between collapsing in pain or laughing, Griff decided to stick with smiling. "End turn." The sands that had taken away the field returned it. Now the advantage was Griff's though.

Adriel drew. "You think you're so tough because you placed me on the defensive. Well actually...." He looked at the card and nodded. "I won't be going on the defensive. Take this, the magic card Dragon Bomb! By sacrificing one dragon monster on my field, I can deal you its attack in life point damage!" The Masked Dragon shuddered and exploded, turning into a huge fireball that sailed across the field towards Griff. "This is the end of you."

Snapping his fingers, Griff motioned to his face-down card. "You've made your last play. By activating my trap card Barrel Behind the Door, I can reflect the damage from your magic card back at you." The fireball disappeared and was replaced by a golden gun, which fired right into Adriel's chest and threw him backwards.

Griff- 800

Adriel- 100

The dragon duelist couldn't believe it. ("I'm...going to lose. I have no cards that possess the power to defeat him now...NO!") Snarling, the dragon duelist refused to believe he was finished. The single card in his hand didn't have the power to defeat anything under Mohistava's control, but he wasn't finished by a long shot. ("I have still have the cards I set face-down...") Then he looked at the card in his hand and all of his plans changed.

Griff, despite all of the pain that he felt, still managed to keep a cool head. He didn't like what he was seeing though. ("Adriel looked like he was going to give up a few seconds ago. Now though, he looks like this duel is his.")

"It was nice knowing you Mohistava. I activate the magic card," Adriel snapped the card over and a huge blast of wind tore across the field. "Jin's Destructive Storm!"

("That doesn't sound like a dragon card...in fact, it sounds more like a...") Griff paled. ("It sounds like a seal card.")

The wind picked up in strength and blew across the field, shattering all the magic and trap cards. Snickering, Adriel tapped his life point counter. "This card destroys all magic and trap cards on the field, and then deals you 300 life points of damage per destroyed card."

("No...") Sammy dropped her hands to her sides and felt a shiver run up her spine. ("He lost...")

Griff- 0

Adriel- 100

The pain that burned in Griff's chest felt like nothing compared to the fact that he had just lost the duel against Adriel. ("Damn it...even with a seal card I couldn't win.") This entire duel felt like a whole waste of time to him. ("I lost the duel, probably got a curse...and failed Sammy. I can't believe she just watched me lose.") If he had been thinking clearly, he would have thought it peculiar that he was able to hear Sammy from her hiding place. "Adriel...I won't give up..."

The dragon duelist rubbed his index finger under his nose and walked off without another word. He'd proven his worth already, and the win was his. ("I won, and you lost. Farewell Mohistava.")

Gritting his teeth, Griff had a new objective in his head. ("By the time I'm done training...you won't stand a chance Zaytel. I'll destroy you!")

"Griff...are you ok?" Sammy poked her head out of the bush and then followed with her whole body. She walked over to him and helped him to his feet. "Come on, let's go."

"Go?" Shaking off the dizziness that had replaced the pain, the Egyptian duelist tried to distinguish what she was talking about. "Where are we going?"

"To the party of course!" She smiled and supported him while his balance came back. "I can't let the man who defended my honor go rewardless."

Griff was too tongue-tied to speak. ("Maybe...today won't be a total loss...after all.")

_To be continued..._

Author's Notes: And so it begins...the party. This is going to take a bit of effort, but I'll try to have it to you guys soon.

To TheChazMan: I'm sorry to put you into pain. Look on the bright side, now you know Sestros plays a part in this story.

To Bobbomp: I thought it was good in giving the mood of the scene.

To Anime Albino: Nope, it ain't Malik.

To Lance Murdock: That's a great question. Technically Ryu is the strongest, though he was killed by Sestros because he was exhausted through his duel with Seren. After that Sestros just got stronger and stronger. Currently though this Sestros is nowhere near as powerful as Rikuo, Ryu, or the rest of the ancient demons.

To Hogwarts-Knight: Sorry dude, but I can't kill Sestros that easily.

To GrizzlyUnderThere: Ichigo picks his nose in your general direction! Or something like that. Nope, I will not kill my best villain that easily.


	32. The party to end all parties

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 32: The party to end all parties

"What's the matter Kenshin?" Ebony, one of the top ten duelists in the school, ran her hands through the Crusader's hair and grinned at the quiet purring he let out when she touched his ears. "I'd think you would enjoy a party like this one. You're a classy guy, after all." She posed in her dress, the white of the fabric contrasting against her tan skin. "And don't you think I look nice in this dress?"

"Of course you do," the half demon frowned and glanced over at the door, where more students continued to enter the gym, which had been redecorated just for this occasion. "It's just that I'm hoping for someone to show up soon."

Ebony giggled and tugged on the collar of his white custom-fitted tuxedo. "I assume you mean Ichigo Pilkington, the Blue Osiris?"

"I'm that transparent huh?" Rubbing his cheeks with an arm to hide his blush, Kenshin wished that she didn't know him so well. He was indeed waiting for Ichigo to show up. ("I have to admit that I've learned a lot from my duel against him. Plus I'd like to see him again. It would be nice to get to know the son of my father's best friend.")

"Well I'll be waiting for you when you can get your attention off of a certain someone else." Winking, Ebony walked off in a way that left Kenshin following her with his eyes until she was out of sight.

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"Wow Rikuo...you clean up nice." Daniel stuck his hands into his pockets and circled his other half. "When you comb out that mess of black hair and stick yourself into a nice suit you look nearly presentable."

"Keh! Did you think that I spent all of my time in the past living like a wild animal?" The wolf demon ignored the scared looks some of the nearby students were giving him and lifted his chin haughtily. "Back in my past life I was actually one of the greatest gentlemen in the world. Even Jourgen bowed to my elite mannerism."

Daniel rolled his eyes and flicked the end of his ponytail. "You don't ever exaggerate, do you?"

"Never once in my life." Rikuo walked off with his head held up high. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to be a proper chaperone."

("I liked him better when he was animalistic. At least then he didn't act like royalty.") Smiling slightly, Daniel walked off to go and do exactly what Rikuo was doing. ("Somebody has to make sure these kids behave themselves.")

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"Eri, is that you?" Ashley tilted her head to the side at Ichigo, who was wearing a feathered black mask over her eyes. "When did you dye your hair?"

"Oh...I did it just a couple of hours ago. It's just a temporary kind of thing." The half-demon prayed that something nearby would explode so she had a way to get away from Ashley. "So um...I'll talk to you later." Grinning stupidly, she did the polite equivalent of running for her life. ("Can't let her figure out that I'm not Eri!")

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"There you are Ichigo, I was wondering where you went." Krieger walked over to Eri and tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Why are you a guy?"

Narrowing his eyes, Eri growled low in his throat and grabbed Krieger by the collar. "Listen here cat, I'm not in the mood to tolerate your questions. So why don't you go be a good kitty and find some catnip? I'm sure that will be a good way..." He yelped as someone smacked him so hard on the back of the head that he bit his tongue.

"What are you doing!?" Ichigo frowned and tugged on one of Eri's ears. "Don't yell at Krieger!"

Currently Krieger was too confused to put two and two together. ("Eri's...defending me?")

Groaning at the confused look on her roommate's face, Ichigo stepped past Eri and whispered something to Krieger.

Krieger turned a strong shade of white and stared at Eri. ".......Oh......"

"You've got a loose tongue 'Eri'." Eri growled a little louder and crossed his arms across his chest slowly. "As for you Reinhardt, watch yourself. If this becomes public knowledge then kiss your life goodbye." Turning away, he walked off hoping that something would happen to destroy this party and let him go free. ("Someone please challenge me to a darkness game...please!")

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"Sir, we'll be landing in just a couple of minutes." The pilot looked back at his passenger. "What are your orders."

"Stay with the helicopter until my business is done. If you need supplies then you have my permission to go to the store and get what you need." Removing his glasses, the man ran a hand through his long black hair and looked out the window of the quickly descending helicopter with his sapphire blue eyes. "If my wife wishes to know where I am, make sure she knows that I'm on an important business trip that cannot be interrupted."

"As you wish, sir." The pilot knew better than to question his employer. It wasn't that he was a cruel man, but he definitely wasn't the nicest fellow in the world.

("Today is the day I get to have a bit of fun.") A slight smile crossed the man's face at the thought. ("It's been so long since I have actually done something fun...and soon the destruction will commence.") He tapped his chin with a nail and wondered where he had heard that line before. ("Oh well, it's no matter. Time to play.")

--------------------------------

Hitokage Seijitsu stifled a yawn and stretched his back against the far end wall of the gymnasium. ("Why did I even bother coming? I have far too much on my mind to worry about what the public opinion of me is to care about this stupid party. Then again...maybe that is why I came. Perhaps I've been thinking about this whole seal thing far too much.")

"Hitokage-san, Ichigo Pilkington has arrived. I noticed him walking around just a minute ago." One of the blond-haired duelists many lackeys whispered into his ear.

"Keep an eye on him." Hitokage knew that Pilkington had something to do with these seal cards, and he wanted to find out what that thing was. "And if anything strange happens around him, then make sure I know about it."

"As you wish sir."

-------------------------------------------

Sticking his hand into his pockets, the man approached the gymnasium whistling. ("Now where are you?") Closing his eyes, he extended his senses and felt numerous different signatures of energy around him. ("Intriguing little situation we have here. At least six noticeable signatures of energy.")

-----------------------------------------------------------

Griff groaned and collapsed to a seat in the bleachers around the gym. ("It hurts....") So far his 'date' with Sammy was not going according to plan. Not only was he so stricken with pain that even moving hurt, but even if he had felt fine there was no chance he could keep his cool around her. Just being around Sammy destroyed his sharp wit and left him close to senseless. ("Damn my hopeless romanticism!")

"Are you okay Griff?" Sammy placed a hand on the now brightly blushing Egyptian duelist's forehead. "Do you have a fever?"

"No...I'll be okay." Griff tried to get rid of the shivers that ran up his spine. ("Ever since I got that seal card I've been feeling horrible.") He cursed whatever forces were behind him getting it, and then curled into a ball as his stomach felt like it was full of hot coals. "Just...let me catch my breath."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

"So...do you want to dance?" Ichigo glanced over at Eri, who had decided he was content with sitting in a chair in the corner of the gym and waiting until the party ended.

"No." Eri readjusted his crossed legs. "I do not want to dance and I do not want to talk to you. Go away."

"I'd love to, but we're supposed to be on a date." She sat down in a nearby chair. "So how about we at least try to have some fun?"

"I am having fun." Eri closed his eyes. "Now go away."

"Jeez...you're way too angry about this whole thing. Your curse isn't anywhere near as bad as mine is." Ichigo fidgeted in her seat. "Trust me...you're lucky."

He went silent for a few seconds, and then opened his eyes. "Let me tell you something..." He leaned in close enough that she could feel his breath on her skin. "Your curse isn't anything compared to mine. You look completely different when you change, while I look like a male version of myself. It's easy for you to conceal your true identity, unlike me."

She smiled slyly and replied, "Then why don't you kiss me."

Eri's eyes instantly developed a twitch. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." She withdrew from him and spoke in a normal voice. "If you want to discourage people to think you're who you are, then kiss me. No one will think anything about you if they see you kissing a girl. It'll discourage most of the suspicion that you believe everyone has about you."

("That's the dumbest thing...") Eri cracked his knuckles and stood up. "I have a better idea. How about I beat you senseless with this chair instead?"

Ichigo sighed and sat back lazily. "I see that you don't get humor, do you?"

"I don't get your stupid perverted humor." Eri sat back down and looked away to hide the fact that he was blushing.

----------------------------------------------------------

The man walked towards the entrance of the gymnasium with a smile on his face. ("It's time to...") He stopped suddenly and looked back behind himself. ("What in the hell is that energy? It feels like energy from the realm of darkness. However...it's darker than that.")

A few inches from his face a black-cloaked form appeared. _("You are of interest to my master. Come with me.")_

"How about not?" Scoffing, the man returned to walking towards the gymnasium. "I'm not in the mood entertain your boss, whoever he might be."

_("I think you misunderstood me. Either come or be destroyed.")_ The form reached out with a bony claw to grab the man's shoulder.

Spinning around, the man kicked the arm aside and hopped back a couple of steps. "No means no. Now get away from me before I make you sorry you were ever re-animated, corpse."

_("If you will not come willingly, then I must challenge you to a darkness game.")_ The black-cloaked form waved its hand and the darkness around them grew thicker. _("To avoid interference from the humans, I have brought us directly to the realm of darkness.")_

"That was an awfully bold move of you. What makes you think that I even know what a darkness game is?" The man knew all too well what a darkness game was, but he didn't like the idea of something that snuck up on people and put them into darkness games without even knowing whether they were duelists or not. Taking his deck out of his pocket, he shuffled it and then withdrew his cell phone from his coat pocket. "Unluckily for you though, I do know how to duel and what a darkness game is. I assume the game is Duel Monsters?"

_("Of course it is. Now let us begin. I assume you possess a duel disk?")_ Lifting its arm, the shadow drew five cards off of its deck. "I am Malice. Ready to begin?"

Tapping a button on his cell phone, the man placed it on his arm. It beeped loudly and locked into place around his wrist. Within a matter of seconds it had turned into a very small and lightweight duel disk. "I'm ready." He inserted his deck into its socket and drew five cards. "My name is Jourgen Politumas, but you can call me Ryu. I'll be your executioner this evening."

----------------------------------------------------

"I've got my eye on you," muttered Midas King under his breath at the sight of Ichigo Pilkington and Erika Amero. ("I know that those two are up to something.") The gold-suited instructor was bumped into from behind and sent careening forward. "Hey! Watch where you are going!"

The culprit was a young woman who looked to be about twenty years old or so. She was wearing a skin-tight bodysuit and had a headful of raven black hair. "Oh I'm sorry Mr. King. It's just that I'm looking for my daughter."

Midas frowned disdainfully and readjusted the collar of his robes. "It's a pleasure to see you here Mrs. Amero. Your husband has been causing quite a few problems as of lately. Hopefully with you here he will act more like a human than a wild animal." Though he disliked Jasmine Amero, he hated Rikuo Amero even more. ("That 'man' is nothing more than a barbarian, just like his daughter!")

"Oh don't worry about it, I'll keep him calm." The Kitsune winked slyly and walked off.

--------------------------------------------------------------

"So who would you like to go first? I personally don't mind either way. In fact, I won't even need to remove my tie to deal with you." Ryu refused to look at his hand until his opponent had decided who was going first. ("I need to keep my match honorable.")

"I will go first." Malice slid a card off of his deck, tilted his rotted head down to it, and then added it to his hand. "You should know something...I have never lost a match in my life."

Ryu shook his head slowly. "That's a shame. You're one of them, eh?"

"One of who?" The specter was definitely surprised now. This opponent was acting far too confident, considering it was the first turn.

"One of those who think that losing is a bad thing." The dragon demon tsked and waved a finger in the air. "Don't you know that a loss can actually improve your game? So by declaring that you have never lost a match, you state your weakness."

"I've heard enough of your stupid banter, foolish mortal." Malice grasped a card at the end of his hand and placed it onto his disk. "For your foolish, you must be punished. I set one monster face-down on the field and two cards face-down. End turn."

"Foolish mortal?" Ryu drew. "I learned long ago that insults never won you anything. This will a lesson that you'll learn by the end of this duel." He calmly inserted a card into his disk. "My turn begins with a bit of hand refreshment through the use of Graceful Charity. This rare magic card lets me draw three cards and then discard two from my hand." In one motion he slid three cards off of his deck and added them to his hand. "Now I discard two of them." He grasped a pair of cards and inserted them into a slot on the portable duel disk.

Malice reached out with his mind and contacted his master. _("Milord, why do you want me to bring you this mortal? He cannot be of service to you, can he?")_

His reply came in a burning pain that left his skull throbbing. The message was clear. _("My apologies for trying to second-guess you, master.")_

The dragon demon placed a card onto his disk. "I set a monster in face-down defense mode and end my turn for now."

Malice drew. "Your strategy is unknown to me, but I can assume from your name that dragons are somehow involved." Without waiting for a reply he placed a card onto his disk. "I summon Kryuel (1000/1700) in defense mode and end my turn." A furred demon with goat horns and a spear appeared on the field in a crouching position.

("Why in face-up defense mode?") Ryu drew. "You want me to attack? I know what Kryuel does and I'd never take the risk of losing one of my children in a stupid game of chance." He took a card from his hand and placed it onto another of the thin monster spaces. "I summon Gaius the Earth Dragon (500/2200) in defense mode." A dragon built to look like a living boulder appeared on the field in a crouching position. "I also set one card face-down. End turn."

Malice drew. "You hope to build up some kind of draconic defense against me? It's hopeless to try and use defense against the power that my deck possesses. So first I play the magic card Vortex Lock. This will seal your face-down cards for three turns, leaving you unable to use them." A black shroud enveloped Ryu's set magic/trap card and his defense monster.

"Now your plans are useless against me. For now though I summon Bistro Butcher (1800/1000) in attack mode. With three monsters on the field I've got more than enough raw power to tear down your defenses in a short while." A purple-skinned demon in chef's clothing appeared on the field. "End turn."

Ryu drew. "You talk a lot of crap for someone who doesn't know what strategy is. For example, by leaving your Bistro Butcher in attack mode you've just given me the window I needed to attack you." The dragon demon smirked knowingly. "But first I need an attacker. That shouldn't be too hard though, considering that I play Polymerization!" A swirling vortex of black light appeared in front of him. "By fusing Crystallis the Ice Dragon (2200/2000) and Shade the Smoke Dragon (0/0) together from my hand, I can create Tainted Ice Dragon!" (2200/2000) A hissing pillar of black ice appeared on his field. Cracks appeared along the pillar's surface as it writhed like a living thing. "Tainted Ice Dragon, attack the Bistro Butcher!" At the front end of the pillar, a pair of jaws exploded free that released a wave of black smoke which rolled across the field towards Malice and his monster.

"You're the one who doesn't know what strategy is...because other wise you wouldn't have walked right into my trap!" One of Malice's two face-down cards flipped face-up. "I activate the continuous trap card Black Draining Stone." A black crystal appeared on the field. "Now all monsters other than fiends will lose 500 attack points as long as this trap is in play."

Ryu crossed his arms across his chest and yawned. "And my Tainted Ice Dragon is unaffected by traps." The Bistro Butcher let out a single cry of pain and exploded as the black wave consumed it.

Ryu- 4000

Malice- 3600

The dragon demon inserted one more card into his disk. "I finish my turn by setting one card face-down."

Malice drew. "You have an over-inflated opinion of your skill. Have you forgotten that I'm well prepared for nearly anything you can bring against me?"

"We'll see." Ryu smiled slightly at the warmth that ran in his gut. "We'll see."

_To be continued..._


	33. Building pressure, amongst other things

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 33: Building pressure, amongst other things

Ichigo had gone to get a cup of punch for Eri, who was content with sitting in the corner of the gymnasium where the crowds couldn't see him. ("Wasn't it her who said that we should perhaps act like each other to avoid arousing any suspicion? If so, then I really need to change my public image.")

"Now don't you look beautiful in that dress? I knew that you'd like it." Someone placed their hands on Ichigo's shoulders and spun her around. She came face to face with someone that looked like her mother's twin sister, except for the crimson eyes and black hair. "And I assume that handsome young man in the corner is Ichigo? It's been so long since I've seen him."

"Uh...." Ichigo blinked from behind her mask a few times. "Hi...mom?"

Jasmine narrowed her eyes and then took a couple of steps back. "I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else. You look a lot like my daughter. Does the name Erika ring a bell?"

Ichigo barely heard the question over the sound of her own heart hammering in her rib-cage. ("This has got to be Aunt Jasmine. If she figures out who I really am...") Her brain caught up to recent events and she stammered out, "Erika? Can't say that I have."

"That's too bad..." The Kitsune sighed and walked away. ("That girl could have been an exact copy of Erika, if not for the hair and eyes.") She stopped in her tracks as a smell hit her nose that she had been hoping to come across before the end of the night. Giggling to herself, Jasmine slipped into her old thieves' training and stalked her new prey silently, becoming a shadow that traveled through the groups of students easily.

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Griff groaned quietly and took another sip of his water. The pains had died down to a dull throbbing, but even that hurt almost more than he could stand.

"Are you sure that you are okay?" Sammy found it hard to ignore the constant shivers that wracked the Egyptian boy's body. "Maybe I should get you to the doctor's office?"

"Nope...I'll be just fine." Griff plastered a smile onto his face, trying to sit up as straight as her could. "Let's just try to enjoy this evening." Meanwhile, he was mentally trying to calculate the chances that he had contracted some kind of lethal flesh-eating virus.

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"Hey 'Ichigo'!" Ichigo slid the last few feet so that she was right in front of Eri. "I think you might want to know that my mother is here." She exclaimed the last part of the sentence.

Eri promptly did a spit-take with the drink he had picked up. "Excuse me!?"

"You heard me." The half-demon glanced behind herself nervously, suddenly feeling very self-conscious of the fact that she was wearing skin-tight black velvet. "And that means that we need to get out of here now."

"You want to run from this?" Eri growled low in his throat and flexed his claws, perfectly looking the part of an evil clone of Ichigo's male self. "We aren't going anywhere. This is our problem and running from it would accomplish nothing at all. So you and I are going to speak to my mother and we will work this out." Then he looked over to see Jasmine at the other end of the gymnasium and all of his righteous nerve disappeared instantly.

Rolling her eyes at the sudden paleness that came over Eri's face, Ichigo grabbed the other demon by the hand and led him out through the back. "Come on 'Ichigo', let's go."

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Rikuo had been leaning against a set of bleachers while he passed the time watching all of the little human children mingle amongst themselves. This entire situation reminded him of a war campaign from his past involving some upstart rat demons in...

"Rikuo Amero, you're dead," a quiet voice whispered into his ear.

The wolf demon didn't flinch in the slightest or show surprise in any way. "Actually, you're the only one in danger of dying. Before you argue consider where you are located underneath these bleachers. By the location of your voice, I'd estimate that you're positioned exactly three feet behind me." Rikuo bent at the knees slightly and snapped his arm backwards.

In mid-motion he continued his explanation, "And by the shifting of air I hear you are attempting to duck my strike..." He let the motion of his swing position him just right. "...and that is your last mistake." He unwound his left knee and used the built-up force to carry his left foot into his opponent's gut with the force of a freight train.

His attacker, who was hidden by the shadows of the bleachers, barely managed to get out a cry before the air was blown from their lungs by the blow to their stomach.

Smirking slightly at the loud thud that echoed behind him, Rikuo felt his senses readjust to normal speed. It was rare he needed to access his full speed, but he didn't want the students to notice him. To anyone but the most focused observer, his blow would have looked like nothing but a stretch. Stepping backwards into the shadows, the wolf demon turned around just in time to catch a fist in the cheek. Despite his attempts to absorb the blow, it was angled just right that it drove into his cheekbone. That made it nearly impossible to shake off the pain as a horrible burning sensation ran across his face.

Jasmine snickered as her husband stumbled back a couple of feet, his head twisted to the side painfully. "You're as good as always, big wolf." She put her hands on her hips and stuck her tongue out at him. "But for a demon lord you still have a glass jaw."

"Glass jaw huh?" The wolf demon tugged on his jaw and popped it back into the proper place. "You had better be careful. This is the jaw that you kiss each day." His golden eyes glowed in the darkness as he stepped underneath the bleachers and slipped into a relaxed fighting stance.

The fox demon winked and went into her own stance. "So how's Eri doing? I assume she and Ichigo are having a pleasant time at this party?" Her crimson eyes appeared completely evil in the darkness.

Rikuo suddenly remembered his daughter's situation and felt his fighting stance falter. Because of that he barely managed to avoid getting one of his wife's boots right into his face. "Well...uh...actually....errr..." He blocked a few more of her strikes, suddenly feeling defensive. "She's....."

Jasmine slid just a few inches from Rikuo's face and then grabbed his arm, twisting it painfully. The wolf demon let out a single gasp of pain as his elbow touched the small of his back. "You're hiding something, aren't you?"

"No dear..." Rikuo was cut off as she applied more pressure to his arm. "Well she doesn't want..." A yelp came out of his mouth as she pushed even harder. "Damn you woman!"

"I love you too big wolf." Jasmine tugged on his hair gently and blew on one of his ears. "Now be a good boy and tell me what's wrong with our daughter."

("This is one of those times that I wish I'd gotten her that therapy for her birthday.") Rikuo groaned a mental apology to Eri and started his explanation.

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_Malice drew. "You have an over-inflated opinion of your skill. Have you forgotten that I'm well prepared for nearly anything you can bring against me?"_

"_We'll see." Ryu smiled slightly at the warmth that ran in his gut. "We'll see."_

Malice felt a tingle run down his spine, which was an indication that his master was watching. "My master has intention for me to make sure that you do not interfere in his plans." Walls of black stone appeared around them, quickly forming a dark room that added a new menacing undertone to the area. "I play the continuous magic card Pain Amplifier. As long as this effect is in play, all number effects that drain attack points from monsters on the field are now doubled. Also I set one monster on the field in face-down defense mode and one card face-down in my magic/trap zone." Now the specter had no cards in hand. "End turn."

Ryu smirked calmly and drew. "Your master huh? So who's your master? Are they something that should matter to me?" He glanced at the drawn card and motioned to Malice's field. "Tainted Ice Dragon, attack his defense mode monster!" The black beast opened its jaws and sprayed the set monster card with a wave of dark energy. It let out a shuddering cry as spikes exploded out of the energy and dug deep cuts into its icy flesh.

"You triggered the effect of my monster." Malice cackled at the delicious screams of pain that came from the Tainted Ice Dragon. "My Poison Needler (750/700) infects whatever monster destroys it with a lethal poison that drains it of 1000 attack points. Thanks to my Pain Amplifier that means your Tainted Ice Dragon loses 2000 attack points." (200/2000)

The dragon demon frowned at the sight of one of his beautiful dragon monsters in pain. "End turn."

Malice drew, feeling the shadows feed his flesh with an energy that would kill anything alive. "I summon La Jinn (1800/1000) in attack mode." A green-colored genie appeared on the field. "Attack Tainted Ice Dragon now!" La Jinn took a deep breath and let out a spray of fire that consumed Ryu's monster. "End turn."

Ryu- 2400

Malice- 3600

Ryu drew with understanding in his mind of his opponent's strategy. ("His deck is based around weakening stronger monsters so that his demons can destroy them.") If there was one thing that he disliked it was someone who dared to belittle his dragons. "I end my turn."

"There is nothing else you can do." Malice drew with the hum in his mind increasing in strength. ("I obey you master...and I will attack this fool with my best.") "I play the magic card Dark Lock. This magic card creates a warp that will lock out one monster on the field for three turns." A spinning vortex of energy consumed Gaius and left Ryu with no monsters on the field. "Now I switch Krueyl into attack mode." The spear-wielding demon stood up and hefted its weapon. "Now take this, direct attack!" Both of his monsters launched forwards to run over the dragon demon.

Ryu snapped his fingers. "I open my face-down trap card, Dragon's Gathering!" The Dark Lock shuddered and exploded, releasing Gaius. "Now I take one dragon monster from my deck that can fuse with Gaius the Earth Dragon and fuse them together." He ran his finger through his deck and pulled out a random card. One glance at it told him exactly who he was going to summon. "I fuse Dragon Demon Lord (2400/1000) and Gaius the Earth Dragon together so I can create this!" A humanoid dragon wearing stone armor and holding a tower shield made of thick rock appeared on the field in a crouching position. "Stone Dragon Vanguard (2000/3000) in defense mode! Though your trap card does reduce its attack points by a 1000." (1000/3000) La Jinn released a wave of flame from its mouth that hit the Stone Vanguard's shield and launched back to slap the genie in the face, blowing it apart. "And my monster's special ability allows it to destroy any creature that attacks it, even though it is in defense mode."

Ryu- 2400

Malice- 2400

Malice felt the darkness flow around him like a living thing. ("Forgive my foolish move, master. I will defeat this mortal though.") "End turn."

Ryu drew, feeling the earth at his feet give him strength. ("As my avatar bonds with the earth dragon, so do I.") His jet-black hair got into his eyes, though he didn't make any move to remove it. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Malice drew, hissing in anger as Ryu's face-down monster card and magic/trap card reappeared on the field. "I will switch Kyuel into defense mode and end my turn."

Now that Ryu had gotten the threat of being immediately destroyed off of his back, he had some time to prepare his strategy. "I draw and play the magic card Soul Exchange. Now I sacrifice your two monsters on my field to summon a high-level monster from my hand." A green dragon surrounded by small tornadoes appeared on the field. "I summon Typherious the Storm Dragon (2900/4000) in defense mode."

Malice barely flinched as the winds of the dragon blew all around him. "Summon as many monsters as you wish. I will defeat your creatures and bring my master your soul."

Ryu closed his eyes and ignored his opponent, instead paying attention to the wind in his ears. "Thanks to the power of Typherious you're going to have accomplish this without the help of your magic and trap cards. My Storm Dragon's special ability will destroy all magic and trap cards on the field each turn as long as it is in defense mode. This effect also activates when it is summoned." The mini-tornadoes around the green-scaled dragon increased in size and tore across the field, shattering all of the cards on the field heavily. "End turn."

Without his Black Draining Stone and Pain Amplifier combo, Malice now was missing the power to stop most of Ryu's attacks. The buzzing in his head told him that his master was displeased. ("Do not worry...I have yet to draw and the card in my hand will annihilate his defenses.") The specter drew and slid the drawn card into his disk. "I play the continuous magic card that creates a barrier which will protect me from one of the most dangerous cards in my deck. Activate Plague Barrier!" A bubble of sickly green light shimmered into existence around him. "Now I play the last card you will see me play this duel. It is so dangerous that without my barrier card I would lose this duel immediately. Go Black Plague!"

Ryu screamed in pain as fire exploded in his ribs. Crashing down to his knees, the dragon demon felt his nails lengthen against the back of the cards in his hand. ("My body...is reacting...")

Malice cackled in delight at the sight of the mighty Jourgen Politumas screaming in pain. "Black Plague is a special kind of magic card called a Shadow Card. It is a special magic card that can only be created by a darkness realm being of great power. You and your monsters have been infected with a deadly virus of my own personal creation." On cue, Typherious and the Stone Dragon Vanguard crashed down to the ground roaring in pain. "The thing that makes my card so special is that it instantly kills any human who is put in contact with it." That was spoken so casually that it was more like an after-thought than anything else. "For a demon however...the effect is so much more entertaining."

"What...are you...doing to me?" Ryu spoke through teeth that had lengthened and become sword sharp. His muscles bulged against his business suit, tears appearing in the rich dark material.

Malice paced back and forth slowly. "As you probably know, many different demons are based off of animals. Well this plague brings out the true animal in demons of that nature...and then drives them insane."

To Ryu, it felt like some kind of worm was burrowing through his brain. ("Damn...") His thoughts began to degenerate to a more primal nature. ("Pain...")

Malice watched as all of Ryu's monsters exploded into dust. "In the terms of the game, it destroys all of the monsters under your control. Normally it would instantly wipe out my life points, but thanks to my barrier I am safe against it. However, I cannot attack you or draw any cards. So for now I'll simply end my turn and enjoy the show."

The dragon demon felt his body morphing into the magnificent form of his Grand Emperor Dragon. Snarling, he roared and snapped his jaws towards the disgusting smelling creature in front of him. He slowly stood up to his full height, wings outstretched and teeth bared.

And Malice snickered as he watched the mind of his enemy disappear. ("Master...the mortal is no threat to your plans.")

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Daniel yawned and lazily watched the students on the dance floor. ("This is so boring. I guess it is better than fighting demons though.") Honestly, he wouldn't have minded a bit of excitement though.

Rikuo winced and limped over to his other half. "Have you seen Erika?"

Daniel blinked a few times at the sight of the mighty demon general in pain. "Umm...not since a few hours ago. Why?"

The next words out of Rikuo's mouth made Daniel wish he could run away. "Our wives are here."

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Jennie frowned and looked out at the lake. ("Now where's that gymnasium?") She had tried to find it on her own, since she disliked asking anyone for help. Since she was little and had Jasmine as part of her self-reliance had been a necessity to live, so asking for directions was out of the question. ("I might have to change that policy though...because I want to see my handsome son again.") Though she had only not seen Ichigo for a week, that was far too long in her mind.

Then she heard someone coming and her old thief instincts kicked in. In a matter of seconds she was hidden and out of sight.

Eri had snapped out of his stupor a little while ago, but didn't have the mental fortitud necessary to stop himself from following Ichigo.

Ichigo was still too terrified of his mother getting involved in this whole curse thing. ("Why couldn't she have just come on Parent's Day and all of this could be avoided?") That and the shoes that went with her dress were really starting to get uncomfortable. "I think we can stop running now."

Eri wasn't listening, and he ran to the edge of the lake. Stopping only because of natural instinct to avoid running into large bodies of water, the demon stumbled and fell to his knees with his face being only a few inches from the water. This gave him a look at his reflection...

Ichigo threw the stupid dress shoes off and rubbed her poor feet. ("I will never harp on anyone for not wanting to wear high-heels. Those things hurt...") Her ears pricked at the soft sound of crying that was coming from Eri. One glance back told her all she needed to be sure of.

Eri looked miserable. All of his efforts to make himself appear presentable had faded away with his resolve to no longer cry about this whole curse ordeal. "I can't even face my own mother...because I'm a freak..."

"A freak?" Ichigo echoed. "What makes you a freak? This whole curse thing wasn't even your fault, so you can't go think that..."

Eri snapped his face up, crimson-gold eyes flaring with a murderous fire to them. "This is your fault! I'll kill you!" He leapt up and charged, claws out to tear Ichigo in half.

"Eeep!" Ichigo ducked under the first strike, and emerged from the second one with a cut on her arm. "Have you lost your mind!? What did I do to you!?"

"You did all of this! By simply coming here I've had to endure humiliation after humiliation...and each one was because of you!" Eri growled low in his throat and lunged.

Ichigo underestimated the reach of Eri's new body and got knocked to the ground by a full-body tackle because of it. By the time she had regained enough of her senses to try and run Eri's claws were pressed against her throat.

"Now you die!" Eri snapped up his other claw and brought it sailing down...only to pull the attack at the last second because his eyes met Ichigo's.

Ichigo held Eri's gaze in his own, not backing down in the slightest. "What does this accomplish? How was this my fault? It's time to stop living in your own little world where everything that goes wrong with you can be pinned on one person! I didn't cause you to become cursed Eri!" Taking advantage of the fact that said demon was stunned, she shoved Eri's arm aside and got up into a crouching position. "But if you still want to fight then let's get it over with."

Eri wasn't listening anymore. His eyes stared off into nothingness. ("My honor...my finely trained skills...are all useless now.") Bowing his head, the demon knew that there was no point anymore. Getting angry because of this served no purpose. ("Perhaps I can reclaim my family's lost honor by performing Seppuku? I know it is a bit old-fashioned, but at least then father would still look upon me honorably.") No matter how hard he tried to convince himself that he could though, he knew that performing suicide was something he didn't have the nerve to do. ("All of this weakness is unacceptable...") Mental barriers that had been pain-stakingly placed in his mind were breaking down, and that let in emotions that Eri would normally want nothing to do with. Giving in to desperation, he broke down and cried. ("All chances for a normal life...they are over.")

Ichigo was torn between either running off or comforting Eri. ("Are all members of the Amero family this mentally unbalanced!?") Thoughts of Rikuo flashed in her mind. ("Yes they are.")

Jennie hadn't heard a single name uttered...and yet she somehow knew instantly who was who. ("I'm not sure why...but that girl is Ichigo. He...she has to be. No one else could calm anyone with a temper like that. And that temper means the guy is Erika. She...he must be Rikuo and Jasmine's child.") The fact that she was eavesdropping was the only thing keeping her from leaping out of her hiding place and demanding answers to what was going on.

Eri continued to sob, his entire shuddering as he felt a cold fear run through him. Eventually everyone would find out his secret. What was the point in even trying to pretend that everything was going to be okay?

Ichigo frowned and cracked her knuckles. ("I can't believe I'm about to do this.")

Whatever dark thoughts were cooking in Eri's mind disappeared as there was a slight pressure on his ears. He started to growl instinctly at the thought of someone touching him, but something cut him off. It was the way that person was rubbing...

("I hate exploiting people's weaknesses.") Ichigo continued to apply just the right amount of pressure to a choice couple of spots on Eri's ears. ("I'm just glad that she has nerve points just like mine.")

Jennie knew exactly what her "son" was doing. ("This must be serious for her to use the 'off' switch.") Amongst anyone with Rikuo's bloodline in them in any amounts, their nerves had certain pressure points where the right amount of pressure would shut off most higher brain functions temporarily. Jennie had labeled it the 'off' switch because she had once used it to calm down an overly hyper Ichigo when the boy was three years old. With a little guilty smirk she remembered when she used the switch on Daniel once. ("Of course, my intents and purposes were a little different than Ichigo's are...I hope.")

Ichigo sighed as Eri rubbed his head against her like a huge cat. ("The only downside...") Whenever she tried to slide away from Eri the demon would scoot in against her again. "Snap out of it."

Eri, however, was gone. All that was left was a semi-awake wolf demon who was content with his current treatment.

Ichigo sighed and continued rubbing, hoping to figure out some way out of this before the night ended or Eri returned to full consciousness. ("If she wakes up and finds out what I did...I might not survive the initial blow like I did this time.")

Jennie giggled quietly and sat back to keep an eye on her child. ("I know I should really be demanding for answers right now...but this is too much fun to watch.")

_To be continued..._

Author's Notes: I'm still on break. In a few days I'll be returning to my dorm room, where distractions from my school work and my writing will be at a minimum. Then you can expect the frequency of my updates to increase again.


	34. Arrival of the Guardian

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 34: Arrival of the Guardian

Eri's eyes shot open and immediately took in her surroundings. It was not often that she slept so soundly, and that worried her. ("Perhaps some kind of assassin…") As her eyes readjusted to the darkness around her though, she realized that she was in her room. ("How did I get here? The last thing I remember Ichigo and I were…") Memories of the events of last night flashed through her mind. Her cheeks turned an instant crimson. ("That…that…")

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Ichigo yawned and slid out of bed, his bed sheets draped around him like a toga. "Good morning Krieger."

Krieger nodded silently and motioned up to Griff's bunk.

"He's still not feeling well?" Ichigo turned and knocked on the wood. "Hey Griff, are you dead yet?"

There was a creak at the door and Griff came jogging in, wearing a red pair of sweat pants and a sweat-shirt. "You need to start getting up earlier. It was so boring waking up at four o'clock in the morning and having no one to talk to. Though that did give me time to go jog around the island five times, so I guess it wasn't that bad. Well I'm gonna go shower now!" He spun around and jogged into the bathroom.

Ichigo and Krieger both stared at the space where Griff had been until a moment ago.

"Did he say that he'd jogged around the island five times?" Krieger slowly brought his gaze over to the bathroom door.

"I'm still stuck on the fact he woke up at four in the morning." Ichigo shrugged off the strange feeling he was getting every time he thought of what Griff had said…and the speed he had said it.

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Ryu felt the water pour down his chest as the shower sprayed away the dark thoughts that lingered in his mind. ("Last night was not something I'd never want to repeat.")

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_To Ryu, it felt like some kind of worm was burrowing through his brain. ("Damn...") His thoughts began to degenerate to a more primal nature. ("Pain...")_

_Malice watched as all of Ryu's monsters exploded into dust. "In the terms of the game, it destroys all of the monsters under your control. Normally it would instantly wipe out my life points, but thanks to my barrier I am safe against it. However, I cannot attack you or draw any cards. So for now I'll simply end my turn and enjoy the show."_

_The dragon demon felt his body morphing into the magnificent form of his Grand Emperor Dragon. Snarling, he roared and snapped his jaws towards the disgusting smelling creature in front of him. He slowly stood up to his full height, wings outstretched and teeth bared._

_And Malice snickered as he watched the mind of his enemy disappear. ("Master...the mortal is no threat to your plans.")_

The dragon that was once Ryu snarled and released a wave of solar energy that enveloped Malice's body.

"And like all beasts, you are violent." The specter, unaffected by the power that just slammed into him, continued to pace while he watched blast after blast get slammed into his body. "Soon enough the darkness game will take your inaction as a surrender."

The dragon stopped moving and tilted its head to the side curiously.

Malice froze up… "What are you doing?"

The red glow in the dragon's eyes was fading. It hissed in confusion and shook its head a couple of times.

("This is impossible…the Black Plague cannot be resisted.") Malice lifted his hand and felt his mind connect with his plague. ("Feel the pain as your sanity is torn asunder…") Then he hit a wall. ("What? A mental defense?")

Ryu snarled coldly and in a flash of light reverted to his normal humanoid form, clothing and all. "Now…that…pissed…me…off."

"How are you still yourself!?" Malice found this impossible to comprehend. "My Black Plague…"

"…is nothing but a minor flu to me." The dragon demon drew. "I play Card of Demise! Now I draw until I have five cards in my hand, but in five turns I must discard all my cards! Not that it matters." He drew five times. "I then play the magic card Wings of Bahamut!" A swirling vortex opened up in the air above him. "This will special summon one fusion dragon monster from my graveyard to the field! Come back Stone Dragon Vanguard!" (2000/3000) The rock-armored dragon warrior reappeared on the field. "Wings of Bahamut first breaks my monster down into its separate components. Dragon Demon Lord (2400/1000) and Gaius the Earth Dragon!" (500/2200)

("No…how can I lose!?") Malice's trump card had failed him, and now he was out of options.

"You're not getting off that easily! I play the field magic card Fusion Gate!" Ryu slid two cards into his shirt pocket. "I fuse together Infernus the Pyro Dragon (2200/2000) and Shine the Light Dragon (0/0) together to create Solaris the Sunfire Dragon!" (2200/2000)

There was an explosion of light as the darkness of the realm was blown away. From deep within the explosion a single snake-like form slithered out and hissed down to Ryu. "Then I fuse the Grand Emperor Dragon (2000/2500) in my hand together with my Dragon Demon Lord!" Another flash of light signaled the arrival of another of Ryu's monsters. "Palidus the Dragon Knight (3000/2500) in attack mode!" A humanoid warrior in golden armor made to look like a dragon appeared on the field.

"Activate Fusion Gate once more, fusing Solaris and Palidus together to create Solaris the Dragon Knight!" (3500/3000) A warrior in red dragon armor appeared on the field. "To use Solaris the Dragon Knight's effect I must sacrifice one dragon on my field." Gaius exploded into dust. "Now he doubles his attack points until the end of the turn!" (7000/3000) "Solaris, direct attack!" Producing a huge blood-red battle axe from out of nowhere, the Dragon Knight leapt forward and slashed Malice in half.

Ryu- 2400

Malice- 0

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Ryu sighed at the filthy feeling in his mind. ("That tampering has affected me more than I wanted to let on.") He had things that needed to get done though. ("Next time I go back, I'll make sure to visit my son first.")

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Ichigo yawned and popped his back with a body-pulling stretch. ("It's the weekend…and I have nothing to do for now.") "When's Parent's Day?"

Krieger shrugged. "The date is undecided because of all the 'dangerous incidents' that have been happening all across the island. Not to say that we aren't responsible partially for most of those events."

Ichigo laughed and spun around in his swivel chair. "Maybe so, but we always had good intentions. If it wasn't for us this school would have evil stuff running all over it."

"That brings up a good question." Krieger closed his eyes and listened to the water of Griff's shower run in the next room. "Who are 'us'?"

"I'd guess that in total there'd be you, Griff, Eri, Hitokage, and me. Though from what I know only four of us hold seal cards." Ichigo sighed and looked at his deck, which had been sitting on his desk all last night while he was at the party. "Man…I haven't gotten to duel in a while."

A knock came at the door.

Both Ichigo and Krieger were instantly put on alert. They had a sudden feeling like something was on the verge of happening.

Cautiously, Krieger hopped up out of bed and opened the door. "Yes?"

The man at the door was about 6'5" with long black hair that went down to mid-thigh and a pair of stormy blue eyes that seemed close to emotionless. "I wish to speak with Ichigo Pilkington. Is he in?"

Krieger sighed and looked behind him. "You have company Ichigo…as always."

"Is he here to take my soul, exposing me for the fraud I am, etc?" Ichigo couldn't believe that in his first week he'd made so many enemies/rivals.

"No." The man stepped past Krieger and tapped the duel disk on his arm. "Come outside. You and I are going to duel."

"Are we?" Ichigo dead-panned. "What if I say no?"

"Then I leave and we never speak again."

"Then let's duel." Ichigo just wanted to be sure.

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A few minutes later the two duelists were facing each other across from the front of the Osiris Red dorm.

The man activated his duel disk. "I am Tenken Arashi. Prepare yourself, for I am going first."

Tenken- 4000

Ichigo- 4000

Tenken drew six cards off of his deck. "I begin with the continuous magic card Blessings of the Guardian Goddess. By discarding five cards from my hand, I can draw two cards each of my draw phases from now on. Also, I draw two cards now." He discarded his whole hand and then drew two cards. "Then I play the continuous magic card Magic of the Pure Graveyard. As long as I have no monsters in my graveyard, you will take 100 life points of damage for each card in your graveyard at the beginning of each of your turns. I finish by setting a monster in defense mode." He moved through that entire play so quickly that Ichigo was starting to think that this guy might be more skilled than he originally suspected.

"That was a nice start, but it's my turn now! Draw!" Ichigo snapped a card off of his deck and added it to his five. "I summon Cyber Shadow-Berserker (1900/1200) in attack mode! Attack his defender now and send it to the graveyard!" A black body-suited humanoid with a huge toothed sword in its hand appeared and charged across the field to slash through the face-down monster.

Tenken shook his head slowly. "Do I look that foolish to you? If I set something that was easily destroyed, then why would I play Magic of the Pure Graveyard?" The sword came down, only to be caught in the hands of a strange blue and red-haired beast. "You declared an attack on my Back-up Guarder." (500/2200)

Tenken- 4000

Ichigo- 3700

Ichigo frowned and slid a card from his hand into his disk. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Tenken drew two cards. "I play Pot of Greed, drawing two cards." He drew two more cards, now having three in his hand. "Prepare yourself for this. First I equip the magic card Gravity Axe-Grarl to my Back-up Guarder!" A huge battle-axe appeared in the hands of the beast. "This equipment magic card forces your monsters to stay in whatever mode they are summoned in, and it also raises the attack power of my monster by 500." (1000/2200) "Then I set one card face-down on the field and activate the effect of the last card in my hand."

Ichigo still had no idea what this guy's deck was supposed to do. ("Its whole purpose can't be to wipe me out with that continuous magic card, can it?")

Tenken placed the last card in his hand onto his disk. "I special summon Guardian Grarl (2500/1000) in attack mode, thanks to its special ability which allows me to special summon it without tribute if it is the only card in my hand and I have Gravity Axe-Grarl on the field. Then I'll use the effect of Back-up Guarded to transfer my Axe to Guardian Grarl." A towering humanoid dinosaur appeared on the field, holding the huge battle-axe at ready. (3000/1000) "Say farewell to Cyber Shadow-Berserker. Attack now." Letting out a battle cry, the Guardian monster charged forwards with its axe raised.

"You walked face-first into my best trap card! Reverse card open!" Ichigo's field became surrounded by a barrier of blue light. "Mirror Force negates your attack and destroys all face-up attack monsters on your field!"

"That it does…if I didn't set the magic card Remove Trap." Tenken's face-down card flipped up and a wave of energy shattered the Mirror Force before it could activate. Guardian Grarl's axe slashed through the Berserker like it was nothing. "End turn."

Tenken- 4000

Ichigo- 2600

Ichigo clutched at his chest where the pain simulators had hurt him. "My…my turn, draw!"

Tenken motioned to his face-up cards. "Don't forget that the effect of my Magic of the Pure Graveyard now drains you of 200 life points!"

Tenken- 4000

Ichigo- 2400

Frowning, Ichigo looked at the drawn card hopefully. ("This guy burned out his whole hand in his first turn, but somehow he is managing to live off the top of his deck without any problems. He's either extremely lucky or he has skills that I don't quite possess yet.") "I activate the magic card Pot of Greed, drawing two cards from my deck!" Now he had six cards in his hand again. "Then I play the field magic card Fusion Gate! This allows either of us to fuse monsters from our field or hand together without the need of the magic card Polymerization!"

"What could you possibly fuse that can beat my 3000 attack power Guardian Grarl?" Tenken seemed less than impressed.

"Let me give you a first-hand taste of what my deck can do! I play the continuous magic card Cyber Shadow Mainframe!" A strange futuristic-looking computer appeared on his field. "This card allows me to choose one of two different statistic boosts for my Cyber Shadow monsters when it hits the field. I can either increase their defense by 1000 points or their attack by 500. This game needs heavy hitters, so I choose attack!"

("While an extra 500 attack points might scare someone who is a weak duelist, I am not like that. It will take more than that to beat me.") Tenken crossed his arms across his chest, still emotionless.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "You might want to consider lightening up a little bit! I play the magic card The Warrior Returning Alive!" He slid the card into his graveyard and withdrew a different one. "I can now take one warrior sub-type monster from my graveyard and place it into my hand. The only monster in there is Cyber Shadow-Berserker, so he's my choice!"

Tenken narrowed his eyes as he started to see what his opponent was planning on doing. ("The fusion he plans on making must be to deal with Back-up Guarder. If he sends it to the graveyard then I lose my Magic of the Pure Graveyard card.")

Ichigo grabbed two cards from his hand and slid them into his back pocket. "I remove both Cyber Shadow-Berserker and Cyber Shadow-Strongarm (1900/1300) from the game to summon Cyber Shadow-Wild Driver!" (2500/1500) A ten-foot tall humanoid with a giant and wickedly curved weapon in each hand appeared on the field.

"And Cyber Shadow Mainframe gives him the 500 point boost needed to win!" (3000/1500) "Attack Guardian Grarl now! Double Rage Slash!" Wordlessly, the monster charged across the field and slammed its two weapons into Grarl's axe. They held against each other for a few seconds, and then Wild Driver's weapon came down and cut Grarl in half.

"How did you do that?" Tenken sounded a little angry, but otherwise as cold as before. "Your monster and mine had the same attack power, so when they fought they should have destroyed each other."

"Do you think I would suicide my best chance at winning? Wild Driver's special ability lets it win any battle where the opponent has attack strength equal to its own." Ichigo snickered and slapped another card onto his disk. "Then I play Cyber Shadow-Sentinel (1500/1300) in attack mode." A silver-colored leg-less robot appeared on the field. "And the effect of Cyber Shadow Mainframe raises its attack points by 500." (2000/1300) "Before I end my turn, let's see that Magic of the Pure Graveyard card hurt me now that you have a monster in the graveyard."

Lips tilted downwards slightly, Tenken removed the continuous magic card from his disk and slid it into the graveyard. "Since you have no other moves, I draw." He slid two cards off of his deck. "I play the equipment magic card Hammer of Miracles-Raisek on my Back-up Guarder."

A jewel-encrusted hammer fell from the sky and landed in the hands of the beast. "This card reduces the attack points of whatever monster has it by 800." (0/2200) "Then I summon Guardian Raisek (1600/1000) in defense mode." A gold-armored warrior appeared on the field in a crouching position.

"The special ability of Raisek lets me select three cards in my graveyard. I show all of them to you, and then place one of the three into my hand. The other two are shuffled into my deck. So I'll shuffle Guardian Grarl and his axe back into my deck, while placing Pot of Greed back into my hand."

He shuffled the two cards back into his deck and then added the third to his hand. "Before I play Pot of Greed though I activate Back-up Guarder's effect to transfer my hammer to its rightful owner." The beast handed the weapon to the crouching Guardian Raisek. "Now I activate Pot of Greed and draw two cards." Now two cards were in his hand. "Next is the magic card Pure Mirror. This card can only be activated if I have no monsters in my graveyard. Now two random cards will be selected from my graveyard and you will choose one of them. Whichever one you choose will be activated immediately if it can." His graveyard spat out two cards and he held them up to Ichigo. "The right one or the left one?"

Ichigo frowned and pointed at the right one.

Tenken flipped it over to show a smiling green face. "Pot of Greed lets me draw two more cards." He slid two more cards off of his deck and discarded the two cards chosen by the Pure Mirror. "Excellent draw. Are you ready to face my ultimate monster?"

"I've heard it a million times before. So shut up and prove it." Ichigo wasn't in the mood to listen to someone's 'my monster is the greatest' speech.

Tenken slapped a card onto his disk. "First I play the equipment magic card Goddess Blade-Airtos on my Back-up Guarder. Then I summon this monster from my hand without tribute because I have no monsters in my graveyard. Come out now, Guardian Airtos (2500/2000) in attack mode!" An angelic-looking woman in brown clothing floated down from the sky. "And I transfer the Goddess Blade to her." A long and thin sword appeared within her grasp.

"This magic card will raise the creatures attack points by 300. It would also allow me to remove monsters from your graveyard to raise her attack points, but you have no monsters in there." (2800/2000) "Now I attack Wild Driver with Airtos! Divine Slash!" The woman dove across the field and lifter her blade to cut through Ichigo's warrior. "And in case you had any smug ideas about your Cyber Shadow Mainframe helping, I play the quickplay magic card Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy it." A sharp wind slammed into the computer and blew it apart right before the Guardian's blade slashed Wild Driver apart.

Tenken- 4000

Ichigo- 2100

Ichigo motioned to his Cyber Shadow-Sentinel, which exploded into dust. "I sacrifice Cyber Shadow-Sentinel and use its effect to return Wild Driver to the field in attack mode!" The warrior monster faded back onto the field.

Tenken nodded at the Wild Driver. "He'll be leaving permanently very soon. End turn."

"We'll see about that." Ichigo drew. "I play Monster Reborn to revive Cyber Shadow-Sentinel in defense mode!" The silver-colored robot reappeared on the field. "Then I summon Cyber Shadow-Retriever (1000/1000) in defense mode." A silver-colored crab-like robot appeared on the field. "Wild Driver, attack Guardian Raisek now!" The wild warrior roared and leapt forward, tackling the gold-armored guardian and blowing it apart. "End turn."

Tenken motioned to his field, where Raisek reappeared. "You've triggered the effect of Hammer of Miracle-Raisek. When a monster on my field is destroyed I may sacrifice this equipment magic card to bring that creature back. Since the returned monster is Raisek, his effect triggers. So I'll shuffle the Magic of the Pure Graveyard and the Hammer of Miracles back into my deck, while placing Pot of Greed once more in my hand."

He shuffled his deck and drew twice. "My turn starts now. I play Pot of Greed first." With four cards in his hand, he looked his options over. "Now I play the magic card Weapon Pulse. This allows me to choose one equipment magic card from my deck and add it to my hand. The only downside is that it cannot be activated this turn." He removed his deck from his disk and took out of the card of his choice. "Hammer of Miracles-Raisek comes back to me."

Tenken slid a card into his disk. "I activate the equipment magic card Dagger of Butterflies-Elma and equip it to Guarder. This will raise its attack by 300. It doesn't matter though, because now I summon Guardian Elma (1300/1200) to the field in attack mode." A woman in a dancer's skintight suit appeared on the field with a pair of ornate daggers in her hand. (1600/1200) "And her effect lets me take one equipment magic card in my graveyard and attach it to her." A huge necklace made of iron appeared around Elma's neck. "Shield Necklace will force all monsters on your field to attack Elma before you attack any other creature on my field. Also, I can no longer take battle damage from her death."

Guardian Raisek stood up. "I switch Raisek into attack mode and order it to attack Sentinel. Go!" Nodding, the warrior charged up a ball of golden energy in its hands that it threw across the field and blew the machine apart with. "Then I attack with Elma against Retriever." The dancer leapt gracefully across the field and in two quick cuts reduced the other robot to slag. "And then finally Airtos attacks Wild Driver." For the second time this match the warrior was slashed apart.

Tenken- 4000

Ichigo- 1800

Ichigo caught a card that was spat out of his graveyard. "Retriever lets me pick up one Cyber Shadow from my graveyard when it's destroyed as a result of battle. I'm picking up Sentinel. And since Sentinel was sent to the graveyard the same turn as Wild Driver, its effect brings my monster back." Again the huge warrior monster returned to the field.

Tenken frowned slightly as the annoyance came back once more. ("How many times do I have to kill it before it stays dead?") "I set one card and end my turn."

Ichigo drew. ("This is going to have to be a topdeck…or else I've lost.") He looked at the card and nodded. ("Not game-winning…but it doesn't need to be.") "I summon Cyber Shadow-Sentinel in attack mode!" The silver robot reappeared on the field. "Then I activate the equipment magic card Special Operative Weapon-Defense Armor!" A huge metallic cannon appeared on the back of the Sentinel. "This card increases my monster's attack power by 300 points!" (1800/1300) "Now Sentinel attacks Elma!" The cannon belched out a wave of light that consumed Tenken's monster. "You take no damage, but I don't care! I'm just glad that I can stop you from playing all of those Pure magic cards."

He motioned to Wild Driver. "Attack Raisek now! Double Rage Slash!" A few seconds later another monster was in Tenken's graveyard.

Tenken- 3100

Ichigo- 1800

Ichigo took a deep breath and nodded to his opponent. "Sorry about the outburst. End turn."

Tenken drew twice. "Perhaps you are not the uncultured cur I thought you were. Though I am no longer able to play my special magic cards, I can still use these. First I equip the Hammer of Miracles to my Guarder." (0/2200) "Then I set a monster in defense mode. Airtos attacks Sentinel now!" The goddess launched across the field and slashed her sword across the machine's armor. It wasn't destroyed however. The only thing that broke was the armor. "What?"

Ichigo smirked and slid the Defense Armor into the graveyard. "Defense Armor negates the attack and damage at the cost of being sacrificed. Anything else?"

"Yes." Tenken slid a card from his hand into his disk. "My last card is Magic Sanctuary. Its ability allows both of us to play magic cards as if they were traps. Also, we both take a magic card from our decks and place it into our hands." He withdrew a card from his deck, as did Ichigo. ("He most likely searched for Heavy Storm. With its power he could clear my field and destroy me. But my face-down card will make sure that cannot happen.") "Now I play the card I searched for. Graveyard Rebirth lets me shuffle all monsters in my graveyard back into my deck at the cost of 1000 life points. End turn."

Tenken- 2100

Ichigo- 1800

Ichigo drew. "I play the magic card Reinforcements of the Army! This lets me search my deck for one level four warrior monster and place it into my hand. I'll look for Cyber Shadow-Trainer!" (300/1200) "Now you're finished! I summon Cyber Shadow-Trainer in defense mode!" A man in a black body-suit with a grizzled grey beard appeared on the field in a crouching position. "Then I play the equipment magic card Special Operative Weapon-Stinger!" A futuristic rocket launched appeared in the man's arms. "With it I can destroy up to two monsters with an attack that is 1500 or more than the equipped monsters. So I'll use this card to destroy your Guardian Airtos! Fire!" The Cyber Shadow lifted the weapon and pulled the trigger.

Tenken motioned to his set card. "I activate the quickplay magic card Purity Shield! This card can only be activated when I have no monsters in my graveyard. It costs me 1500 life points to activate, but I can negate anything and destroy it!" The Stinger exploded into digital bits before it could fire.

Tenken- 600

Ichigo- 1800

Ichigo closed his eyes and smiled. "That's fine. Cyber Shadow-Trainer activates its ability now!" His eyes snapped open and he motioned to the defending warrior. "While he is on the field the attack of all Cyber Shadows other than itself is raised by 300 points!"

Cyber Shadow-Wild Driver (2800/1500)

Cyber Shadow-Sentinel (1800/1300)

Tenken's eyes widened. ("No…")

Ichigo calmly pointed at Airtos. "Wild Driver…Double Rage Slash." The towering warrior roared angrily and launched forwards, matching blades with the goddess for a few seconds. Then its weapon got the better of its opponent and its special ability took over. Airtos didn't stand a chance.

Tenken growled quietly at the loss of his favorite card. "You've just made your last mistake. Guardian Death Scythe's (2500/2000) special ability activates when Guardian Airtos is destroyed!" A black shroud fell over the field and when it cleared a pale-skinned woman in black appeared on the field in a crouching position. "Death Scythe is special summoned from my hand, deck or field in defense mode when Airtos is destroyed. Then I equip her with Scythe of a Fallen God!" An enormous scythe appeared in the hands of the woman. "This requires that I sacrifice all monsters on my field to raise her attack power by 500 per sacrificed monster." His two monsters disappeared. (3500/2000) "Anything else you would like to do?"

Ichigo nodded and motioned to Sentinel, which pulled its arms in. "I switch Sentinel into defense mode. End turn."

Tenken drew two cards. "Death Scythe will be my retribution for what you did to my Airtos. Death Scythe attacks Wild Driver now!" The female warrior launched across the field and flicked the weapon across the Cyber Shadow's chest, tearing him apart instantly.

Tenken- 600

Ichigo- 1100

Ichigo motioned to Sentinel, which exploded into dust. "I sacrifice Sentinel to return Wild Driver again!" The warrior reappeared in attack mode.

"You just set up my win." Tenken slid one of his two cards into his disk. "I activate Gravity Axe-Grarl on Death Scythe. Not only does it raise her attack power by 500 points, but now your monsters cannot switch modes." (4000/2000) "End turn."

Krieger whistled to Ichigo. "You can do it! I know you can! Don't rely on it!"

Ichigo knew exactly what his roommate was talking about. ("I refuse to let myself fall back on Blessings of Luna. If I lose my life points then I surrender before it activates.") He drew. "I play Heavy Storm!" A huge hurricane blew across the field, shattering nearly everything on Tenken's field. "This destroys all magic and trap cards on the field. Because of that, you monster's attack points drop down to a much more manageable level." (2500/2000) "Wild Driver, attack Death Scythe now!" The warrior launched across the field and cut down Tenken's last monster.

Tenken- 300

Ichigo- 1100

Tenken slid the card in his hand into the graveyard. "I discard one card from my hand to return Death Scythe to the field in attack mode with the Scythe of Fallen Gods attached to it." The dark-clothed woman reappeared with her weapon. (2500/2000)

Ichigo frowned and nodded to his opponent. "End turn."

Tenken drew one card this time, because his Blessings of the Guardian Goddess were now gone. "I play the magic card Altar of Resurrection. This magic card lets me draw two cards and then play one magic or trap card from my hand. Since it is my turn that doesn't matter. First I play the equipment magic card Amulet of Rage-Neros." A ruby necklace appeared around Death Scythe's neck. "This raises my monster's attack points by 400 and destroys all magic and trap cards on your field. Since you have none that effect it wasted, but I'll make sure the extra attack points come in handy. The only downside is that you get to draw three cards." (2900/2000)

"Death Scythe attacks Wild Driver now!" The woman lifted her now flaming scythe and swung it in a wide arc, beheading Wild Driver and killing it once and for all. "Then I play Fairy of the Spring. This magic card lets me take back one equipment magic card from my graveyard and place it into my hand. The only downside is that I cannot activate it this turn." He caught and held up the Shield Necklace. "End turn."

Tenken- 300

Ichigo- 800

Ichigo drew three cards. ("What do I have left that can affect that thing? He'll just bring it back if I kill it.") He drew one more card…

Tenken snapped his fingers and a black aura exploded out of his graveyard slot. "I activate the magic card Guardian Haze from my graveyard. This removes all monsters in my graveyard from play and forces you to discard half of your hand. It costs me half of my life points, but at this point that shouldn't matter too much."

Tenken- 150

Ichigo- 800

Ichigo slid two cards into his graveyard and nodded at the other two. "I set one card face-down on the field and activate my own Fairy in the Spring magic card!" He reached into his graveyard and pulled out a card. "I take back Special Operative Weapon-Stinger and end my turn."

Tenken drew. "Did you think that I would let you draw three cards without a plan? I play Shield Necklace on Death Scythe and order her to attack your Trainer!" The woman started to charge, but then faltered and fell to one knee. "Hm?"

Ichigo motioned to his face-up card. "I activate my quickplay magic card Alarm Tripwire. This stops one monster attack and lets me draw one card from my deck for every Cyber Shadow monster in play!" He slid a card off of his deck. "Is your turn done?"

Tenken nodded. "You can only avoid your fate for so long. End turn."

Ichigo drew slowly, his mind flashing through all of the possibilities. ("This could be bad…or good. There's only one way to find out though.") He pulled the card free and then twist his Cyber Shadow-Trainer into attack position. "I equip my monster with Special Operative Weapon-Stinger!" The rocket launched appeared in the arms of the warrior. "Fire!" Trainer pulled the trigger and a rocket flew across the field to slam into Death Scythe's chest and blow her apart.

Tenken discarded the card he had been holding. "I get rid of Death Amulet! When this card is discarded for the effect of Death Scythe I may also destroy all magic and trap cards on your field." Death Scythe reappeared and the Stinger was destroyed, meaning it couldn't be used to destroy her again. "You're out of luck and options."

Ichigo felt his will to fight break…and then he actually bothered to look at the card he had drawn from the effect of Alert Tripwire. ("It's a Cyber Shadow? I've never heard of it though…") He read the text and the name. ("No one would print a Cyber Shadow like this…that means it's the…") Though he didn't like the Blessings of Luna, this effect wasn't anywhere near as broken. "I…call out this! By sacrificing Cyber Shadow-Trainer I summon Cyber Shadow-Moon Blade (2000/1700) in attack mode!"

A blond-haired woman in a silver body-suit appeared on the field. In her hands she held a single glowing energy sword. "This is it…it ends here Tenken! I discard the last card in my hand to activate the effect of Moon Blade!" He slid the card into his graveyard and pulled his deck out of his disk. "Now I can search my deck for one Polymerization magic card and one Cyber Shadow of my choice! I choose Cyber Shadow-Blade Master!" (2000/1600)

Tenken felt the power he had been searching for emerging from the Moon Blade in waves. ("It is one of the disturbances in the fabric of reality.")

Ichigo slid a card into his disk. "I activate Polymerization, fusing Moon Blade and Blade Master together to create the ultimate Cyber Shadow!" A pale moonlight fell over the area, though Ichigo remained male through all of it. "Come out now…Cyber Shadow-Boss!" (3000/2200) A woman in a cybernetic enhancement suit appeared on the field, an energy sword in each hand. "Her special ability is called Vengeance of Allies! For every Cyber Shadow monster in the graveyard she gains 200 attack points!" (4600/2200)

"4600 attack points!?" Tenken frowned deeply as he felt wave after wave of energy pulse against his flesh.

"Here we go Tenken! Boss attacks your life points directly with Blades of the Ultimate Warrior!" Silently, Boss leapt forward and passed through Death Scythe like a ghost, landing right in front of Tenken. A few seconds later the Guardian monster exploded into dust.

Tenken- 0

Ichigo- 800

Tenken bowed his head in silent thanks to his monsters. He always did this, whether he won or lost a duel. ("They gave their strength to me so that I could find out if this person held the disturbance.") "You have taught me something important today. Now I must be off. Perhaps we shall meet again." Turning, he walked off with a heavy heart. ("Now I know that something big is going on here. I cannot leave yet.")

Ichigo wasn't even listening anymore. He was too busy looking at the new version of Blessings of Luna. ("Incredible…it changed itself…for me?") There was no way for him to be sure of that. Perhaps one day he'd find out just what it was about this card that made it like it was. ("And if I didn't change into a girl when it activated…then maybe I'm cured!!!") Grinning at the sudden happy revelation, Ichigo walked back to his room whistling a content little tune.

_To be continued…_


	35. Eri's stand against Ichigo

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 35: Confrontation; Eri's stand against Ichigo

Ichigo sighed and watched Griff do another handstand. "I'm getting tired just watching you. Give it a rest already!"

"Can't do that buddy!" The Egyptian boy hopped into a standing position and grabbed his backpack. "Since I've heard that you beat that one guy earlier this morning in a duel I've got my drive to battle back! Let's go find someone to duel!" Without waiting for a reply Griff ran out of the door and out of sight.

Ichigo sighed and scribbled a note for Krieger on a piece of paper. ("I guess I'd better follow him before the entire world gets sent to hell through the methods of a hyper Griff.") It still didn't make any sense to him why Griff was acting like this. Normally the role of reckless and crazy was Ichigo's to fill. ("Oh well.")

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"Why are we going to go see Ichigo, Eri-san?" Sammy had only chosen to come along because she might get to see Griff again. "And why do you have that angry look on your face?"

Eri wasn't listening though. The only thing on her mind was to finish this business with Ichigo so that she could live her life again. ("I'm coming for you Ichigo Pilkington. Prepare yourself.") Her ears twitched as a faint noise reached them. "Griff and Ichigo are now exactly 100 feet away from us. They should be just beyond those trees." Without waiting for a response from Sammy, she walked through the brush.

"I summon Don Zaloog (1400/1500) in attack mode! Attack now!" Griff motioned to his opponent's monster, which was a Baby Dragon. (1200/700)

Off on the sidelines Ichigo had spent the last couple of minutes watching his roommate dismantle this other duelist. ("What is with Griff today? This is the fifth person he has dueled in the last hour. Right after he defeats one person he goes to find another to fight.")

Griff- 4000

Opponent- 0

Griff grinned, flashed his opponent the victory sign, and then ran away in search of his next opponent.

Ichigo stared at his retreating roommate incredulously. ("He's lost his mind.")

"I've found you." Eri said simply. "Ichigo Pilkington…it ends here."

Ichigo sighed and turned around to come face to face with Erika Amero. "What are you pissed about this time?"

Eri snarled and grabbed him by the collar of his jacket. "Don't speak lightly of me! That is why I challenge you! Because of you I'm a laughing stock instead of what I should be…a Duel Queen."

"Duel Queen?" Ichigo tilted his head to the side curiously. "Just to let you know, since I'm going to be the Duel King…that might not be the relationship you want with me." He smirked slightly. "Or perhaps, considering last night, maybe you do?"

Though his tone was light-hearted, to Eri it was like he was mocking her in every way. "Bastard…stand and face me!" She flipped him through the air and face-first into a tree.

"Owww….that hurt," Ichigo said muffled, his face imprinted into the wood of the tree. After giving a sharp tug he was free and facing her. "What's your major malfunction today!? Even for you this is extreme!!!"

Eri lifted her arm to show that she was wearing her duel disk. "The darkness game begins now. Prepare yourself for the end." She drew and opened her field magic card slot. "I activate the Seal of Dark Souls!"

"The what?" Ichigo tilted his head to the side, while darkness gathered into a sphere around them. "I don't even have my disk on. Jeez, give it a rest." He walked over to his backpack and removed his disk. "But if you're so hot to challenge me then let me calm you down with a humbling loss." Sliding the device onto his arm, he clicked it into position. "Let's duel!"

Ichigo- 4000

Eri- 4000

Eri glanced over at Sammy, who looked completely unsure of what to do. "Go and find my father. He'll love to know that I'm going to get revenge for him."

Ichigo face-fell. "This again!? How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't do anything to your psycho father!?!?"

"You only need to say it once." Eri lifted her hand and pointed to a small tattoo of a black fang that was on her wrist. "Thanks to this card, as well as others that my father had stashed away…you will never get a chance to say it again! As long as Seal of Dark Souls is in play all monsters on my field gain 500 attack points! Also, I activate one of its many effects! By negating the Dark Soul Token effect, I can draw three cards!" She slid three more cards off of her deck and added them to her hand.

"What's a Dark Soul Token?" Ichigo frowned at the fact that Eri sounded…overly excited.

"Since I negated the effect, it doesn't matter." The demoness slapped a card onto her disk. "I summon Hellmare (1500/500) in attack mode! Since I have no cards on my field, I can draw two cards!" Now, with nine cards in her hand, Eri wasn't in danger of losing any advantages anytime soon. "Then I watch as my creature is given a power increase by the Seal of Dark Souls!" A horse-shaped figure made of blue flames appeared on the field. The fires leapt huge as the field magic card gave its energy to Eri's monster. (2000/500)

("A plus 500 point boost for all of her attackers? That's a really good card.") Ichigo looked at his deck, though he had yet to draw any cards. "Are you done?"

"Not by a long shot!" Eri slid two cards into her disk and then a third face-up. "I set two cards face-down on the field and play the continuous magic card Ectoplasmer!" The face-up card showed the image of a creature getting the life sucked out of it. "As long as this card is on the field both of us must sacrifice a face-up monster at the end phase of our turns. When we do our opponent takes half of the sacrificed creature's attack in damage!" Hellmare disappeared and was replaced by a white ball of ectoplasm. Silently the ball shot across the field and slammed into Ichigo's chest.

Ichigo- 3000

Eri- 4000

Ichigo was suddenly reminded that darkness games were serious. His reminder was the fact that he had just coughed up some blood onto his shirt. ("Right…can't play around in here.") "My turn…draw!" He snapped six cards off of his deck. ("All right! I can use these!") Without the slightest hesitation he slid a card into his disk. "I activate Heavy Storm! This magic card destroys all magic and trap cards on the field! That means you lose your precious Seal, your Ectoplasmer, and your two set cards."

Eri's eyes widened impossibly as her cards were wiped away by a storm of wind. Then she looked at the Seal of Dark Souls and laughed wildly. "Seal of Dark Souls requires two destruction effects in one turn for it to be destroyed!" Her fangs glittered in the light, and there was a gleam in her eye that spoke bad things for Ichigo. "You failed."

"I did?" Ichigo whistled innocently while he slid a card from his hand into his disk. "Then this Mystical Space Typhoon that I am holding is useless? I may as well use it now then." The darkness around them faltered as the Seal shattered. It quickly was replaced as the duel became a normal darkness game.

"How about that? It just eliminated your Seal…such a shame." He slid a card into his disk and placed a monster on top of the device. "I'll play these and end my turn for now."

Eri drew, a feral energy coming off of her in waves. "I am the darkness…and I am not your comfort!!!"

Ichigo stared at her. "Your…comfort? OH! You mean the text on the Sword of Lumina." He rolled his eyes. "After all the things we've done do you think I'd treat you like any kind of possession?"

"……….." No words came out of Eri's mouth…just noises that were animal in nature.

("Jeez…she's really in a bad mood. Must be that time of the month or something.") Ichigo sighed and waited patiently for Eri to make her move.

("You belittle me…") An aura of purple-black energy exploded around Eri's body. "That is something I cannot allow! No one belittles me! Do you hear me!?"

Pretending to clean out of his ears, Ichigo blinked at her in mock surprise. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

The aura flowed 'brighter'. "I summon Twisted Fiend (1900/700) in attack mode!" A strange deformed black lizard creature appeared on the field. "Now it will drain both of us by 300 life points!" The lizard monster snapped its head around and bit down on Eri's neck. After a few seconds of blood draining, it ran over and did the same to Ichigo. "So how did you like my monster's kiss?"

Ichigo rubbed his neck tenderly. "Eh…at least he knows how to kiss, unlike you."

Ichigo- 2700

Eri- 3700

An echoing cry of rage exploded from somewhere deep within Eri. "Twisted Fiend…destroy his face-down monster!" The lizard leapt forward, but when it reached the card a huge high-tech looking door appeared in front of it. Even though it tried to stop, it was far too late and the creature wound up slamming face-first into the steel.

Ichigo pulled his deck out of his disk. "You just attacked Cyber Shadow-Base (0/2000) and when you did you activated its flip effect. Now I can take any Cyber Shadow monster from my deck and add it to my hand." He removed a card from the stack and then shuffled it. "Also, since your monster has 100 less attack than mine does in defense, you lose 100 life points."

Ichigo- 2700

Eri- 3600

"You…must…die!" Eri discarded a card. "I throw out a fiend and play the magic card Black Lightning! By doing so I can destroy one face-up monster on the field and deal its owner half of the creature's attack in damage!" A bolt of lightning fell from the sky and blew the door into pieces of scrap. "End turn!"

Ichigo frowned at murderous look he was getting. "I'd thought we might have become friends…but I guess I was wrong. Oh well, your loss. Draw!" He snapped a card off of his deck and added it to his hand. "I play Pot of Greed so that I can draw two cards!" After discarding the drawn card, the half-demon pulled the two new cards off of his deck one after another. "Alright, this'll do! I play Polymerization and fuse Cyber Shadow-Blademaster (2000/1600) with Cyber Shadow-Berserker (1900/1200) to create this!"

A humanoid monster in a black body-suit appeared on the field. It was muscular, but not excessively so. In its hands was a chain-saw, except that instead of a steel blade the weapon was instead made of energy. "Say hello to Cyber Shadow-Cutter (2200/1500) in attack mode!"

"Keh! Another of your loser Cyber Shadow fusions won't make the difference in this battle." Eri snickered, her burning rage now down to a simmer.

Ichigo waved his finger in the air and then pointed at the Twisted Fiend. "Cyber Shadow-Cutter attacks the Twisted Fiend now!" The warrior launched across the field and brought its laser chain-saw down. A few seconds later the remaining pieces of what was left of Eri's creature landed at her feet.

Ichigo- 2700

Eri- 3300

Ichigo pointed at Eri. "And what makes Cutter so dangerous is that when he destroys a monster the owner of that creature loses their monster's attack in life points!" The chainsaw-wielding monster slashed its weapon down Eri's body, leaving a deep bloody gash where it hit her. "Take that. End turn."

Ichigo- 2700

Eri- 1400

Eri fell to one knee and tried with all of her might to avoid crying out. "You hanyou…bastard…I'll…" Shakily, she drew. Whatever pain she felt was drowned out by the laughter that roared out of her mouth. "You're finished!!!"

Ichigo thumbed at his monster. "You're going to have to get around him first."

"Am I?" Eri climbed to her feet and slid the drawn card into her disk. "Remember that many of the cards in my deck are ones from my father's personal spares. Well this one was straight from his deck." The sky above her started to scream. "Prepare to burn, little Ichi-chan! I play Hell Meteor!" A rip appeared in the dimensional fabric above her. From within the revealed red and black matter a huge fireball of the same color started to form. "This magic card will deal you 4000 life points of direct damage!"

"4000 life points!!!" Ichigo gritted his teeth at the sight of the now falling meteor. "I'm not gonna fall that easily! Reverse card open!" A pale silver barrier sprang to life around him. "The continuous trap card Cyber Shadow Barrier can only remain on the field as long as I have a Cyber Shadow monster in play. Now all life point damage to me will be halved!" The fireball crashed down over him, but thanks to the barrier he survived the attack.

Ichigo- 700

Eri- 1400

Shuddering as waves of hellish energy pulsed through him, Ichigo barely managed to stay on his feet. ("That…card hurts…a lot.")

Frowning, Eri caught three cards that were spat out of her graveyard. "I remove three demon monsters in my graveyard from play to special summon Dark Necrofear to the field in defense mode!" (2200/2800) A blue-skinned female vampire appeared on the field in a crouching position. "End turn."

Ichigo drew slowly, trying to make the world stop spinning. ("Here goes nothing…") After looking at the card he inserted it into his disk. "I play the continuous magic card Cyber Shadow Mainframe. Now the attack of all Cyber Shadow monsters on my field will be raised by 500 points!" (2700/1500) "End turn."

Eri drew. "You're wasting my time now. What makes you think that any increase in attack points can save you from me?" She glanced at the card and inserted it into her disk. "I set one card face-down. Now then, please continue with your now tortured existence." Something about her seemed strange, but Ichigo wasn't lucid enough to put his finger on what it was just yet.

The half-demon drew. "Here goes…" A slight smile graced his face at the sight of the drawn card. "I set this card face-down and end my turn."

Eri drew. "And still you waste my time. Don't worry though, because you can make it up to me by dying! I play the magic card Grave Hand! This will send one monster on your field to the graveyard!" A huge hand exploded out of the ground and grasped Cyber Shadow-Cutter tightly in its grasp.

Ichigo tapped a button on his duel disk. "Not if I have anything to say about it! I activate the quickplay magic card De-fusion!" Cutter shimmered and exploded into two separate balls of light. Those balls of light faded and were replaced by Cyber Shadow-Blademaster and Cyber Shadow-Berserker in crouching positions. "I break down Cutter into its fusion pieces, both of which come out in defense mode."

The Grave Hand grasped the air blindly a couple of times and then withdrew into the ground.

Eri snickered and motioned to Dark Necrofear. "I switch my monster into attack mode and attack Blademaster now!" The vampire stood up and from its eyes exploded a pair of red energy beams that blew Ichigo's monster apart. "I set one monster and end my turn."

Ichigo drew calmly. ("This isn't the end yet. I still have options to deal with her. Now let's see what my deck gives me this turn.") He motioned to his mainframe card. "I now sacrifice Cyber Shadow Mainframe to special summon two Cyber Shadows from my graveyard to the field. They can't attack or be sacrifice, but since fusion doesn't count as a sacrifice I should do just fine! Return to me now!" Blademaster and Base returned to the field in defense mode.

"Now I play the field magic card Fusion Gate. As long as this is in play we can both fuse monsters on our field or in our hand without need of Polymerization!" Both Blademaster and Berserker disappeared. "I fuse these two together to recreate Cyber Shadow-Cutter!" The chainsaw-wielding warrior reappeared on the field. "Suicide into Dark Necrofear and win me this game!" His monster charged forwards, intent on pulling the vampire to the graveyard.

Eri motioned to her face-down card. "I activate the trap card Unholy Calamity! This triggers when you declare an attack with your monster. Now all creatures on the field will be sent to the graveyard!" A black vortex appeared beneath all of the monsters and pulled them out of sight.

Ichigo nodded resolutely. "I knew you would stop me…but I did that anyway. Best to get unnecessary cards out of the way, right?" He placed a card onto his disk. "I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Eri drew. "Ichigo…I can't allow you live. It's nothing personal, but as long as you exist my life's purpose is in flux. That is unacceptable." She placed the card onto her disk. "I summon Wolf Demoness (1550/1550) in attack mode." There was a flash of dark energy that shuddered across the arena as the creature came into existence. Though much more feral than its owner, the Wolf Demoness looked similar to Eri in numerous ways. "Attack the defense monster now! Dark Devil's Claw!" Sneering, the Demoness leapt forward and slashed through the defending monster. "Your monster's death equals no effect, thanks to the special ability of my monster."

Ichigo frowned and slid the card into his graveyard. ("Cyber Shadow-Retriever (1000/1000) could have helped me out.")

Eri bowed her head slightly to her monster. "End turn."

Ichigo drew. "I know the story behind the Wolf Demon Lord and Rikuo…but are you the same with this card?"

Eri nodded. "That's right. This creature was a present from my father…and as such it is more important to me than anything else."

Ichigo glanced at the drawn card and then discarded it. "I activate Reinforcements of the Army. Now I search my deck for a level four warrior monster." He removed his deck from its slot, searched through it, and then put it back. "Now come out Cyber Shadow-Strongarm (1900/1300) in attack mode!" A huge humanoid in a black-bodysuit appeared on the field. "Attack Wolf Demoness now!" The warrior leapt forward and slammed its fist into the demon monster's face, blowing her apart.

Eri gritted her teeth. "Bastard…how dare you! The effect of Wolf Demoness prevents me from taking damage because of its death!" She drew. "I set a card face-down and one monster in defense mode! End turn!"

Ichigo drew. "What is with you? I know you don't like me, but what's this whole needing to kill me thing that you're stuck on? I summon Cyber Shadow-Relay (0/1600) in defense mode and attack your defender with Strongarm!" A bipedal machine with a satellite dish on top of it appeared on the field.

Eri flipped up her face-down monster. "You've attacked my Spirit Reaper (300/200) and it cannot be destroyed in battle so you wasted your time!"

Ichigo frowned and nodded to her. "End turn."

Eri drew. "I activate Pot of Greed." Drawing two cards, she slid one into her deck. "I activate Crippling Pain! This equipment magic card attaches to your monster and leaves it unable to attack or defend! Also, you will take 100 life points of damage for every level star your creature has during each of your standby phases! End turn!" Strongarm fell to its knees and roared in pain.

Ichigo- 300

Eri- 1400

Ichigo removed his deck from its deck slot. "During my draw phase I activate the effect of Relay! Instead of drawing a card I can add one Cyber Shadow from my deck to my hand!" Removing the card he wanted, the half-demon slapped it onto his disk. "I summon Cyber Shadow-Medic (1200/1600) in defense mode!" A humanoid wearing the clothes of a field medic appeared on the field. "I activate his special ability now! When he is summoned I can take a Cyber Shadow warrior from either my removed from play pile or my graveyard and add it to my hand!"

"What could you possibly bring back?" Eri snickered coldly and waited to see if Ichigo could recover before Crippling Pain finished him off.

Ichigo held up the card he had taken from his back pocket. "Now I use Fusion Gate to combine Strongarm and Berserker to create this!" A towering warrior wielding a huge curved blade in each hand appeared on the field. "Cyber Shadow-Wild Driver (2500/1500) in attack mode! End turn."

Eri grimaced and drew. "If I draw another burn card this duel will be over. And I'll play the continuous magic card Situational Despair. Now if you don't attack me each of your turns then I draw one card from my deck for each monster on your field. Also, I summon Dark Slime (0/100) in attack mode." A blob of dark matter appeared on her field. "Once per turn I may shuffle one card from my hand into my deck to raise my monster's attack power by 1000 points." She shuffled the last card in her hand into her deck. (1000/100) "End turn."

Ichigo drew. ("Her face-down has to a trap card.") "Wild Driver attacks Dark Slime!"

Eri tapped a button on her duel disk. "I activate Midnight Robbery! This magic card allows me to call the name of one equipment magic card. If that card is in your hand then your battle phase ends and I may draw six cards from my deck. I call Special Operative Weapon-Stinger."

Ichigo paled and flipped the card in his hand over to reveal said magic card.

Eri drew six cards and then drew for her turn. "Also, I draw three cards for each monster on your field." She now had ten cards in her hand. "First I shuffle one card from my hand into my deck to raise Dark Slime's attack power by 1000. Since the card I am shuffling back in is a Mind Demon (1000/1000) then you must discard one card as well." (2000/100)

Ichigo discarded his Stinger. ("Since she knows what it is then it is useless for now.")

Eri placed a card onto her disk and three cards into it. "I set three cards face-down and set one monster. Dark Slime attacks your Relay now!" The blob launched across the field and shattered the machine monster. "End turn."

Ichigo drew. ("This is horrible!") "First I play the equipment magic card Special Operative Weapon-Cyber Slasher!" The blades in Wild Driver's hands exploded to life as energy arched along them. "Now my monster can attack twice each battle phase! Wild Driver, attack Dark Slime now!"

Eri flipped up one of her face-down cards. "I was waiting for you to make a stupid choice. Activate Dark Spirit of the Silent!" An orange ghost exploded out of the flipped up card and slammed into Medic. "Now you monster switches into attack mode and attacks my Dark Slime instead. Farewell!"

Ichigo gasped as his monster leapt to its feet and charged.

_To be continued…_


	36. The darkness within

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 36: The darkness within

_Eri drew six cards and then drew for her turn. "Also, I draw three cards for each monster on your field." She now had ten cards in her hand. "First I shuffle one card from my hand into my deck to raise Dark Slime's attack power by 1000. Since the card I am shuffling back in is a Mind Demon (1000/1000) then you must discard one card as well." (2000/100)_

_Ichigo discarded his Stinger. ("Since she knows what it is then it is useless for now.")_

_Eri placed a card onto her disk and three cards into it. "I set three cards face-down and set one monster. Dark Slime attacks your Relay now!" The blob launched across the field and shattered the machine monster. "End turn."_

_Ichigo drew. ("This is horrible!") "First I play the equipment magic card Special Operative Weapon-Cyber Slasher!" The blades in Wild Driver's hands exploded to life as energy arched along them. "Now my monster can attack twice each battle phase! Wild Driver, attack Dark Slime now!"_

_Eri flipped up one of her face-down cards. "I was waiting for you to make a stupid choice. Activate Dark Spirit of the Silent!" An orange ghost exploded out of the flipped up card and slammed into Medic. "Now you monster switches into attack mode and attacks my Dark Slime instead. Farewell!"_

_Ichigo gasped as his monster leapt to its feet and charged._

Eri's sneer was so cold that even the darkness of the realm seemed afraid of her. "You're dead."

"Not yet!" Ichigo snapped the last card in his hand around, light exploding from its face. "From my hand, I play the quickplay magic card Narrow Escape! This ends whatever battle one Cyber Shadow monster may be in and allows a different Cyber Shadow to take its place in the fight! Wild Driver takes Medic's place and destroys Dark Slime!" The field medic dropped to the ground, while the titanic berserk warrior leapt over it and slashed through the slime.

Ichigo- 300

Eri- 900

Ichigo smirked and cracked his knuckles. "This battle isn't over by a long shot. If you think I'm going to let you destroy me that easily then you should look into other ways of doing it. I don't lose my duels that really count."

Eri eyes, strangely vacant, went to look down at the ground. "You…are the reason for my hate! You…you…you…will die here and now!" She drew. "I summon Des Cregit Mage (1700/1200) in attack mode and attack your Medic! Die you imposter!" A skeleton in brown robes and holding a wooden staff appeared on the field and charged over to break the skull of the field medic with one swing.

Ichigo smirked and slid his monster card into the graveyard. "Medic's special ability allows me to gain 1000 life points when it dies. Then I take the damage from your attack, so all you accomplished was giving me a life point increase."

Ichigo- 800

Eri- 900

The demoness' eyes burned red in the darkness, which was growing thicker by the second. "You…" Whatever else she was going to say was lost amongst the growls.

Ichigo took that as an 'end turn'. "I draw." He slid the top card off of his deck. "Cyber Shadow-Wild Driver…attack Des Cregit Mage now!" The burly warrior nodded to its master and charged.

Eri, even through her rage, had her new strategy memorized. "I activate the continuous trap cards Soul Efficiency and Shadows of Death!" The weapon came down and slashed her monster in half. "I use the effect of Death Cregit Mage to shuffle my hand into my deck and prevent all life point damage to me from its death." Her dark smile said there was more. "Soul Efficiency's special ability activates now! When a monster on my field is destroyed I draw cards equal to the destroyed monster's level divided by two." She snapped two cards off of her deck. "And then Shadows of Death activates now! Every time you destroy a monster on my field you must take life point damage equal to its level times 100!"

Ichigo- 400

Eri- 900

Ichigo frowned and motioned to Eri's other monster. "Thanks to the ability of its equipment magic card, Wild Driver attacks your defender now!" The huge warrior brought its sword down and slashed Eri's set monster in half.

Eri discarded the card and removed her deck from its slot. "Sangan (1000/600) activates when sent to the graveyard! Now I search my deck for a monster with 1500 attack points or less and add it to my hand. Also, Shadows of Death deals you 300 points of damage and I draw one card!"

Ichigo- 100

Eri- 900

Taking a deep breath to clear his thoughts, Ichigo placed the card he had drawn onto his disk. "I set one monster face-down and end my turn."

Eri drew. "You don't seem to care whether your life points reach zero now. That's a shame." She inserted two cards into her disk and placed a monster onto it. "I set one monster face-down and two cards face-down. End turn."

Ichigo had a sneaky suspicion that one of those cards were meant to finish this duel. ("You think I'm going to let you defeat me here? Think again Eri.") He drew. "I flip up my monster! Go Cyber Shadow-Eliminator!" (900/900) A strange jet-black metal sphere with numerous devices on its body appeared on the field. "When it is flipped up on my turn Eliminator lets me destroy all cards on your field at the cost of my battle phase this turn!" All of Eri's cards faded away. "Also, you may draw two cards. End turn."

Eri hissed in anger and tapped a button on her disk. "You triggered the effect of my trap card! Activate Feast of Yata-Garasu!" A card was spat out of her graveyard slot. "This trap card can only be activated when sent to the graveyard. It raises my life points by 500 times every card in my hand." A white mist flowed around her body and then was sucked into her duel disk. "Thanks to you I have four cards."

Ichigo- 100

Eri- 2900

Eri drew for her turn. "My turn…draw!" One look at her five cards and she knew exactly what must be done. "I could kill you right now if I wanted to. But instead I will activate the magic card Soul Exchange. By sacrificing my battle phase this turn I will sacrifice your two monsters to summon this." A twenty foot tall dark form appeared on her field. "Behemoth of Shadows (3000/2100) in attack mode! End turn."

Ichigo gulped at the vague titan before him. ("I'm not sure what to do against this thing. Why would she not want to finish me off?") He drew. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Eri drew. "Behemoth of Shadows special ability activates!" Blast mist fell around her body. "Now I may draw three cards and shuffle two from my hand back into my deck." After doing so she pointed at Ichigo. "Good-bye hanyou! Behemoth of Shadows attacks your life points…"

Ichigo smirked and tapped a button on his duel disk. "Not just yet! I activate the trap card A Hero Emerges!" He slapped the card in his hand onto his disk. "When you declare an attack you are supposed to select one card in my hand. If that card is a monster card it is special summoned to the field. Since I have only one card in my hand, this monster comes to the field now!" A blond-haired woman appeared on the field in a crouching position. "Cyber Shadow-Moon Blade (2000/1700) in defense mode!"

The Behemoth of Night's fist came down and stopped a few inches from the warrior.

Ichigo smirked. "Cyber Shadow-Moon Blade special ability activates! By sacrificing 500 of her attack points, I can once per turn negate an attack!" (1500/1700)

Eri growled low in her throat, the aura around her getting darker and darker. "End…turn…"

Ichigo drew. "I play Monster Reborn on Cyber Shadow-Medic!" The field medic reappeared on the field in a crouching position. "This means I can take back one Cyber Shadow from my graveyard or removed from play pile!" After pulling his chosen monster from his back pocket, the half-demon snapped it up. "I fuse Cyber Shadow-Blademaster (2000/1600) with Cyber Shadow-Moon Blade to create Cyber Shadow-Boss (3000/2200) in attack mode!" A woman appeared on the field with a pair of laser swords in her hands. "Now her special ability gives her 200 extra attack points for every Cyber Shadow in my graveyard! Vengeance of Allies activates!" (4200/2200)

"4200!?" Eri sneered coldly. "Is that all you've got?"

"It's enough." Ichigo pointed at the Behemoth of Shadows. "Attack now!"

Eri discarded a card from her hand and slammed a card into her disk. "You won't win that easily! By discarding one card from my hand I can play this magic card immediately! Go Black Tribute! Now I discard one card from my hand for every monster on the field to destroy all monsters on the field!" She tossed all three of her cards and the entire field was consumed by black fire. "So your supposed win is delayed."

Ichigo closed his eyes and prayed for luck. "End turn."

Eri drew. "I set this card face-down and end my turn."

Ichigo's eyes snapped open and he pulled the top card off of his deck. "Then that means it's my turn! Draw!" He glanced at the card and slid it into his disk. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Eri's eyes shimmered violet in the darkness. "Excellent…you cannot stop me." She drew and slapped the card onto her disk. "I summon Emissary of the Afterlife (1600/600) and order it to attack your life points directly!" A ghostly black-cloaked form with a scythe appeared on the field and flew across it to cut down Ichigo.

"I'm not beaten yet!" Ichigo motioned to his face-down card. "Reveal Truce of Opposing Forces!" The reaper vanished. "This trap card sends all monsters on the field back to their owner's hands!"

Eri picked the card up and tapped a button on her duel disk. "I activate the magic card Dark Magic Scrying. This lets me shuffle my hand into my deck and draw cards until I have an equal number of cards. All other cards besides the drawn magic cards return to my deck." She drew the top card and slid it into her disk. "I activate the magic card Nightmare's Steel Cage!" A huge spiked metal cage appeared over Ichigo's field. "Now neither of us can attack for two turns. With that my turn is complete." The demoness' voice had taken on a strange tone. It was like a puppet.

("What's the matter with her?") Ichigo drew. "Are you feeling alright?"

Eri's lips lifted slightly into a smile that said she was hiding something. "I'm feeling just fine, Ichigo. Please continue the duel."

Taken aback by the sudden politeness she was giving him, the half-demon momentarily forgot what he was doing. ("Oh yeah!") "I summon Cyber Shadow-Soldier (1600/1600) in defense mode and end my turn!" A warrior in a black body-suit appeared on the field in a crouching position.

Eri snapped the top card off of her deck. "Can you hear it?"

Ichigo's ears pricked when she asked that. He listened closely, but didn't hear anything out of the ordinary. "What are you talking about?"

"So you cannot hear it?" Eri tilted her head to the side slowly, violet eyes still shimmering in the darkness. "That's a shame…because it is the sound of death coming for you. I play the magic card Magical Puppetry. Now I pay half of my life to pick up one magic card from my graveyard." She withdrew the card and held it up in the air. "Come out Hell Meteor!"

Ichigo stared disbelievingly at what was about to happen. ("I'm…going to lose.")

Eri spoke over the sound of gathering fire. "Now you take 4000 life points of damage. But since you're about to die…I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm not Erika Amero."

"What?" Ichigo, despite the sadness in his heart that he was about to lose, was definitely curious. "Then who are you?"

"I am a demon…a demon whose very existence has manipulated Erika Amero's life since her childhood." She licked her lips as she felt the Hell Meteor start its descent. "When she was a child she made the foolish mistake of calling upon powers beyond her control. That was how I was born."

Ichigo found it hard to believe…and yet something about her tone made it impossible to argue. "Then what are you?"

"I am the darkness. If you need a name for me though then you are welcome to call me Negative. I know it is a bit cliché…but since you are about to die then the last thing on your mind is that. Hell Meteor attack!" The fireball fell from the sky and slammed down on top of Ichigo, stealing consciousness from him.

Ichigo- 0

Negative- 2900

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Daniel sighed and collapsed back into his chair. ("I can't believe I just explained the whole situation with our son to Jennie and she didn't freak out.") Strangely, she might have sounded happy about something. ("Naw…she couldn't be happy that Ichigo turns into a girl…could she?") That left some disturbing images in his head.

Then his attention was caught as his desk lifted into the air and then crashed back down into place. "Rikuo, what are you doing?"

"Looking for something." The wolf demon continued moving large pieces of furniture in search of whatever it was he wanted.

"What's the something?"

"Hell Meteor."

Daniel paled at the mention of a card that held certain bad memories for him. "You…lost Hell Meteor?"

"No, I just misplaced it." Rikuo picked up Daniel's desk again to double-check.

Sighing, the half wolf-demon muttered something under his breath and stood up when he heard a knock on his office door. "Put my desk down please." Walking over, he opened the door and blinked in surprise at his guest. "Sammy? What are you doing here?"

As the girl explained what was going on, Rikuo and Daniel both understood very quickly where Hell Meteor had gone.

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The fire died out to reveal Ichigo's now smoking body. Though it was still standing, it looked like it was missing something important.

Negative licked her lips. "Another soul for me to feast upon. It is hard work manipulating Erika." She started to approach the standing body.

Then it moved. "No…this cannot be allowed." Ichigo's eyes slowly rose to meet the violet ones of Negative. "I challenge you."

"You already lost." Negative placed a hand on her hip and winked coldly. "So begone."

Ichigo raised his hand, palm up and outwards, into the air. "I said that I challenge you!" There was a flash of light and suddenly the darkness was gone. Both of them were standing within a glowing circle of light. "Hell-spawn, you will fight me here and now!" His voice had taken on a much colder and much more experienced tone.

Negative shuddered as light covered her. "This isn't possible…you lost and your soul should be gone!"

"I never lost to you." Ichigo's eyes, which had been strangely vacant before, now turned an emerald color. "In fact, we've never even battled before."

_To be continued…_

To Hogwarts-Knight: She stole it from Rikuo's deck. Though Rikuo is a duelist, he doesn't keep his deck on his person 24/7.

To Seeker of the Soul: As you can see, things are turning weird.

To Bobbomp: Nothing, I guess.

To Anime Albino: I'm trying.

To gohan11: Yes he did.

To Whitewolf7187: As you can see, it wasn't totally Eri's fault that she's nuts.


	37. The Emeraldeyed warrior

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 37: The emerald-eyed warrior

_Ichigo raised his hand, palm up and outwards, into the air. "I said that I challenge you!" There was a flash of light and suddenly the darkness was gone. Both of them were standing within a glowing circle of light. "Hell-spawn, you will fight me here and now!" His voice had taken on a much colder and much more experienced tone._

_Negative shuddered as light covered her. "This isn't possible…you lost and your soul should be gone!"_

"_I never lost to you." Ichigo's eyes, which had been strangely vacant before, now turned an emerald color. "In fact, we've never even battled before."_

Negative grimaced and shuffled her deck. "Fine then, let's get this over with. I'm not sure who you are but I will not back down because of some pretty little light show!"

"Hold a moment." Ichigo's body removed its deck from the disk, looked it over, and then frowned. "I cannot use these creatures. Their spirit is not in turn with mine." Sliding the deck back into place, he touched it and it shimmered golden for a few seconds. "This should do. Let's duel!"

Negative- 4000

Ichigo?- 4000

Negative snapped the top card off of her deck. "As the one who was challenged I'll go first!" She looked her hand over carefully and then slid two cards into her disk. "I set two cards face-down on the field and one monster. End turn. Now before you go why don't you tell me your name? I know you're not Ichigo Pilkington."

All she got was a cold glare. "I draw!" He snapped a card off of his deck and added it to his hand. "My identity is not important." His emerald eyes lifted and looked at the set cards. After a few seconds he nodded to himself and slid two cards into his disk. "I set two cards face-down on the field and summon Homunculus the Alchemic Being (1800/1600) in attack mode!" A humanoid creature with rapidly shifting skin appeared on the field. "Attack the defense monster now!" It silently leapt across the field and punched right through the set monster.

Negative frowned as her plan backfired. "Sanctified Soul (100/100) when sent to the graveyard forces both of us to draw until we have six cards in our hand." She discarded the monster card and then drew three cards.

Ichigo's body did the same. "I knew that was what card you had face-down. It made the most sense that you'd set something like that and try to remove all magic and trap cards from your hand to increase the number of cards you would draw." One of the two cards he had set flipped up. "That is why I saved Pot of Greed until I was sure. Now I draw two cards, which brings my hand up to eight. Then I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

Negative drew. "What do you have against me? From what I can tell you're a spirit like me, so why should you care? I just did you a favor by clearing that body of its previous owner."

Now Ichigo's body had its fangs bared. "Silence! I am nothing like you!"

"Is that so? Then did you have the permission of the previous owner of that body to come in? Or did you simply barge inside like a barbarian?" Negative looked at the drawn card and snickered. "Well? I don't hear any answers forth-coming."

The light around the both of them waned momentarily, and then returned in full strength. "Take your turn Negative."

The dark spirit slid a card into her disk. "That's fine with me. I discard one card from my hand to activate the magic card Tribute to the Doomed." An explosion of mummy wrappings shot out of the ground and wrapped up Homunculus. "Now your creature will be destroyed." The wrapping tugged sharply and pulled themselves, and their captive, out of sight. "Then I summon Dark Slime (0/100) in attack mode." A blob of black matter appeared on the field. "By shuffling one card from my hand into my deck I can increase its power by 1000 once per turn." She did so and the blob got larger. (1000/100) "Now take this! Direct attack!"

One of the spirit's three face-down cards flipped up. "I activate the quickplay magic card Burning Light! This will destroy one dark attribute monster on the field!" A sunbeam slammed down onto the blob and dissolved it instantly.

Negative hissed in anger and removed three cards from her graveyard. "I remove three demon monsters in my graveyard from play to special summon Dark Necrofear (2200/2800) in defense mode." A blue female vampire appeared on the field in a crouching position. "End turn."

Ichigo's body drew. "I summon Hysteric Angel (1800/500) in attack mode." An angel in a blue business suit appeared on the field. "Also, I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Negative drew. "Now you've got me hooked. I must know who you are. So how about you be a dear and tell me."

Ichigo's body continued to glare.

"Fine, be a spoil-sport." Negative motioned to Dark Necrofear and it stood up. "I order my monster to attack your Angel now!" The vampire's eyes widened and a red beam launched out of each of its eyes. Halfway across the field though the beam was stopped by a glowing blue-white barrier.

"My Waboku trap card defends me from your attack this turn." Ichigo's body didn't seem happy that its plan had worked though. It seemed angry. "Let the girl go and I'll tell you who I am."

Negative waved a finger in the air chidingly. "That's not an option. End turn."

"Then you leave me no choice." Ichigo's body drew. "I set one monster in defense mode and switch Hysteric Angel into defense mode as well. End turn."

Negative drew. "I summon Emissary of the Afterlife (1600/600) in attack mode!" A black-cloaked reaper appeared on the field next to her vampire. "Attack now!" The Emissary launched across the field and slashed right through the Hysteric Angel. When the Necrofear attacked the defender though, the pieces of the blown-apart card reformed into a little white blob.

Ichigo's body smiled slightly. "You just attacked my Marshmallon (300/500) and when it is flipped up you take 1000 life points of damage. Also, it cannot be destroyed in battle so you wasted your attack."

Negative- 3000

Ichigo?- 4000

Negative growled angrily at the fact that her attack had been useless. "End turn."

Ichigo's body drew. "I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Negative snapped the top card off of her deck. "You're trying my patience with your pitiful defensive tactics." She slapped a card onto her disk. "I summon Hellmare (1500/500) in attack mode!" A flaming blue horse exploded onto the field. "Now I attack your defender with Dark Necrofear!"

Ichigo's body motioned to one of its set cards. "You triggered the effect of my trap when you summoned a monster to the field! Torrential Tribute destroys all monsters on the field when a monster is summoned!" An explosive torrent of water rocketed out of the ground and destroyed all the monsters on the field. "And the monster I had face-down was called Mage of Light (0/100) and when it is destroyed I may select one light attribute monster in my deck and place it into my hand." His deck released a weak glow and a card slid out of the stack into his grasp.

Negative frowned and slid a card into her disk. "I set one card face-down on the field and end my turn."

Ichigo's body drew. ("I must figure out a way to safe Eri from this monster. She cannot come to harm!") "I place one monster face-down on the field and end my turn."

Negative drew. ("He's trying to save the girl? What's the point to doing that? Is she really worth risking his existence over?") "End turn."

Ichigo's body drew, though this time it had a plan in mind. ("If I defeat this creature while Eri is connected to it fully then she will be forever lost to the darkness. However...if I can get even a piece of her soul then I can save it from destruction. The only possible answer is the Wolf Demoness card. I must take it from Negative's hand or deck, where-ever it may be.") "I play the magic card Graceful Charity, letting me draw three cards and then discard two." He slid three cards off of his deck and added them to his hand.

After looking at one of the new three, he smiled calmly. ("Nearly there.") Grasping two cards, he slid them into his graveyard. "Now I flip up my Magician of Faith!" (300/400) A young purple-haired woman appeared on the field. "This flip-effect monster lets me pick up one magic card from my graveyard and place it into my hand." He pulled a card out of his graveyard slot and slid it into his disk. "I activate Graceful Charity one more time." Three cards were drawn and then two were discarded.

Negative didn't like this one bit. As long as this fool continued to draw cards she was in danger of losing.

Ichigo's body slid a card into its disk. "I play the magic card Cost Down. By discarding one card from my hand, I can lower the level stars of all creatures I am holding by two." His Magician of Faith faded off of the field. "Now I sacrifice my Magician of Faith to summon this monster to the field!" A towering crystalline dragon appeared on his field, its color an emerald green. It lowered its head and roared at Negative angrily. "Crystal Dragon (2750/2750) in attack mode! Attack her life points directly! Emerald Burst Stream!"

Negative motioned to her middle face-down card. "That was the mistake I was waiting for! Activate continuous trap card! Go Unholy Tombstone! This activates when you declare an attack against me. It will special summon a number of Zombie Tokens (0/1000) to my field in defense mode equal to the number of monsters in my graveyard. These monsters don't take up monster zones and when destroyed deal the destroyer 500 life points of damage!" Three crouching rotted corpses appeared on her field in a crouching position. One of them was blown apart instantly by a wave of emerald light.

Negative- 3000

Ichigo?- 3500

Ichigo's body frowned and slid four cards into its disk. "I set four cards face-down and end my turn."

Negative drew. "You're making this too easy. I play the equipment magic card Crippling Pain. This will prevent your monster from attacking and will also drain you of 100 life points times that monster's level each of your standby phases."

("Now it's all or nothing!") Ichigo's body motioned to one of its set cards. "Reverse card open! I activate Russian Roulette!" The card disappeared and a golden revolver appeared in his hand. "This quickplay magic card lets me declare the name of one card in your hand. If I select that card with this gun then that card is mine to keep, even after this duel ends. However, if I call it wrong on either account I lose this game."

Negative fanned out her hand and snickered coldly. "And what makes you think you're going to be so lucky?"

Ichigo's body aimed at the center of the three cards. "Wolf Demoness (1550/1550) will now come to me!" He pulled the trigger…

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"Mr. Pilkington, do we have to go so fast!?" Sammy squeezed her eyes shut while the tree-tops flew past her.

"I'm sorry that this isn't the most comfortable way to go, but we have to get to Eri and Ichigo before somebody gets killed!" Daniel felt the girl's hands squeeze tighter to his neck.

Rikuo was completely silent, eyes narrowed. ("Erika…I will not tolerate this!")

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A bang ran out and the middle card in Negative's hand fluttered across the field to land in the hands of Ichigo's body. "And as I thought…it is the Wolf Demoness." ("Now I have no qualms about destroying you.")

Negative slid a card from her hand into her disk. "I activate the magic card Dark Magic Scrying. Now I shuffle the remaining card in my hand into my deck and draw from it until I reach a magic card." She did so and then slid the drawn card into his disk. "Next is Pot of Greed, letting me draw two cards. Then I set one card face-down and play the magic card Nightmare's Steel Cage!" A huge spiked steel cage appeared over her opponent's field. "Neither of us may attack for two of my turns. End turn."

Ichigo's body drew. "I'm not going to surrender, if that is what you are hoping for! End turn!" He looked down at the Wolf Demoness card and felt the energy within it. ("Please be alright…Eri…")

Negative- 3000

Ichigo?- 2700

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"Hey Eri, are you okay?"

Eri slowly opened her eyes and blinked in surprise. "Ichigo…where are we?" All around them was nothing but darkness.

Ichigo shrugged innocently. "I honestly don't know. I've been here for a few minutes, and you just appeared a few second ago." He glanced over at a floating picture in the air. "And whoever is using my body is on the verge of taking down that fake you."

"Fake me?" The demoness shakily came to her feet and shivered as she looked upon her own face through the screen. ("Incredible….do I really look that evil to people on the outside?")

Ichigo smiled to her. "You look worried. Well there is no need to be. Who ever this guy is…I trust him to win."

Eri looked at the face of Ichigo on the screen and her eyes widened noticeably. ("That's…it can't be….can it?")

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Negative drew. "And there is one turn left on my defense." She looked at the drawn card. "End turn."

Ichigo's body drew. "I will win this duel in one turn. You understand that, correct? I set one card face-down on the field and end my turn."

Negative- 3000

Ichigo?- 1900

Negative drew and the Nightmare's Steel Cage collapsed around Ichigo's body. "I activate my face-down trap card! Go Feast of Yata-Garasu! This card, as Ichigo would remember, allows me to gain life points by 500 per card in my hand when it goes to the graveyard. However, it has another effect that I will exploit right now. First I remove all monsters in my graveyard from play." She took out three cards. "Now I draw one card for every removed card." With five cards in her hand, she gained 2500 life points when the trap went to the graveyard. "Now I set one monster face-down and end my turn."

Negative- 5500

Ichigo?- 1900

"And we're done here. There's no need for you to struggle any longer. I draw!" Ichigo's body snapped the top card off of its deck. "It's over! Reverse card open! Reveal Crystal Rift! By discarding one card from my hand I can special summon one Crystal Dragon from my deck to the field, though it cannot attack this turn!" A glowing portal appeared in the air above them. "Now come out!" A huge ruby-colored dragon made of crystal floated down from the sky and landed next to its brother. (2750/2750)

Negative snickered and looked at her face-down monster. ("Nothing can defeat me now that Spirit Reaper (300/200) is on the field. It will take his attack and shrug it off like nothing.")

Ichigo's body tapped a button on its disk. "Reverse card open! Monster Reborn revives a monster from either graveyard! Come out, my final Crystal Dragon!" (2750/2750) A sapphire-colored crystal dragon appeared on his field. "The time for talk is over! Reverse card open! Polymerization fuses my three dragons together to create this!!!" The three crystal monsters were pulled together into a vortex. When it cleared a glittering diamond-colored dragon was standing in their place. "Welcome my Ultimate Diamond Dragon (3500/3500) to the field!" The monster roared, shaking the whole island with its scream. "I set one card face-down and attack with Ultimate Diamond Dragon! Go now! Genocide Crystal Explosion!"

Negative snapped her fingers and one of her face-down cards flipped up. "Bad idea…because now I activate the trap card Unholy Calamity! This will send all monsters on the field to the graveyard!"

Ichigo's body went silent for a couple of seconds. Then it slid a card into its disk. "From my hand I activate the quickplay magic card Mystical Space Typhoon on your face-down card!" A sharp wind blew across the field and shattered Negative's set card. "Then I reveal Remove Trap to negate your Unholy Calamity!" The trap card exploded into dust.

Negative rolled her eyes and shrugged it off. "So what? Does your dragon have a special ability? If it doesn't then you just wasted your time."

Ichigo's body opened its mouth, but before it could speak it heard someone it thought it would never hear again.

"Where have I seen that dragon before? And since when did your kid play dragons anyway?" Rikuo whistled in amazement at the snarling beast before him.

"Ichigo? Where did you get that card?" Daniel rubbed his chin and tried to remember if he had ever seen this thing before.

Ichigo's body went slack-jawed at the sight of Rikuo. "You…are alive?"

Rikuo froze at the sound of that voice. Slowly he turned to look the emerald-eyed boy in the eye. "Do I know you?"

Negative looked down at her disk. ("Come on…call time on him so that it is my turn.") A few seconds later the device beeped. "You should have attacked. Draw!" She snapped the top card off of her deck and slid it into her disk. "Go Sword that Seals the Dead!" A sword with a skull at the cross-hilt shot across the field and slashed deep into the Ultimate Diamond Dragon's chest. It roared in pain and then turned to stone. "Now your creature is out of reach forever!"

A twisted black lizard appeared on her field. "I summon Twisted Fiend (1900/700) in attack mode and declare an attack on your life points!" Roaring, the creature charged across the field towards Ichigo's body.

_To be continued…_


	38. Desperate race to free the dragon

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 38: Desperate race to free the dragon

_Negative looked down at her disk. ("Come on…call time on him so that it is my turn.") A few seconds later the device beeped. "You should have attacked. Draw!" She snapped the top card off of her deck and slid it into her disk. "Go Sword that Seals the Dead!" A sword with a skull at the cross-hilt shot across the field and slashed deep into the Ultimate Diamond Dragon's chest. It roared in pain and then turned to stone. "Now your creature is out of reach forever!"_

_A twisted black lizard appeared on her field. "I summon Twisted Fiend (1900/700) in attack mode and declare an attack on your life points!" Roaring, the creature charged across the field towards Ichigo's body._

Right before the creature hit her opponent's field though a blue barrier of light exploded to life and blocked it.

Ichigo's body snapped around to glare at Negative. "You activated my Draining Shield trap card. This negates your attack and gives me life point gain equal to the attack of your monster."

Negative- 5500

Ichigo?- 3800

Negative snarled and cracked her knuckles. "You weren't even paying attention! How could you have known that my creature was coming for you?"

Ichigo's body smirked and drew. "It's now my turn. Draw!" He snapped the top card off of his deck and frowned at it. ("Wait…if she destroys a monster on my field then I get my dragon back!") "I set this monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Negative drew. "I set one monster face-down and two cards face-down. Then I activate the effect of Twisted Fiend to drain us both of 300 life points! End turn."

Negative- 5200

Ichigo?- 3500

Ichigo's body drew. ("This is unbelievable. She is using Eri's deck to burn out my life points without destroying my monsters.") "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Negative drew. "Who are you?"

Rikuo, who had been silent for the last couple of turns, chimed in. "Why would you need to ask? You know that he is Ichigo Pilkington."

Daniel shook his head slowly. "No…that's not my son. I'm still not sure who that is, but he isn't Ichigo." This brought a lot of worries to his mind. If this person was in his son's body then where was his son?

Negative snickered at Rikuo. "I'm surprised that you don't know who I am. I've been right in front of your nose for about ten years." She placed a card onto her disk. "I set one card face-down and end my turn by switching Twisted Fiend into defense mode." The black lizard fell to one knee.

Ichigo's body drew. "I set one card face-down and flip up my two monsters! Come out Kaiser Seahorse (1700/1650) and Light Brigadier (1600/1500) in attack mode!" A blue-armored knight and a warrior in orange armor appeared on the field. "Attack Twisted Fiend and the newest defense mode monster now!" The two monsters leapt forward together and brought their blades down at the same time. Light Brigadier's attack destroyed the Twisted Fiend, while Kaiser's was stopped.

Negative waved her hand across her field. "Activate face-down continuous trap card! Go Shadows of Death! Whenever a monster on my field is destroyed you take life point damage equal to its level times 100! Also, the face-down monster you attacked was my Poison Mummy (1000/1800) and when it is flipped up you take 500 life points of damage. In combination, these two effects and the 100 life point backlash you take from attacking my Poison Mummy equals a 1000 life point loss!"

Negative- 5200

Ichigo?- 2500

Ichigo's body frowned and then risked one quick glance at Rikuo. "End turn."

The wolf demon tilted his head to the side questioningly. ("Where do I know you from?")

Negative drew. "This duel is nearing its end. I'll burn away what remains of your life points and then banish your soul from existence!"

Rikuo glanced over at Negative and snickered. "By the way, you don't think that I have known about you? Of course I knew about you. However, I was unsure what to do with you until now. Since you're causing problems, I'm going to banish you from existence if this guy doesn't do it first."

Negative rolled her eyes and slapped a card onto her disk. "Talk is cheap Rikuo! I summon Sangan (1000/600) in attack mode!" A three-eyed ball of fur appeared on the field. "Then I activate the effect of my Tombstone continuous trap card! By sacrificing a monster I can special summon another Zombie Token to the field!" The Sangan disappeared. "And when Sangan is sent to the graveyard from the field I may search my deck for a monster with 1500 attack points or less and add it to my hand." Another zombie appeared next to its two brethren and now Negative had two cards in her hand. "End turn!"

"My turn…draw!" Ichigo's body drew, and then looked over at Daniel. "Your son is safe. At the moment I am keeping his soul within a place of protection, until the darkness game ends. He lost his duel against Negative and until she is gone the darkness will be seeking to claim him." He returned his attention the duel and slammed a card into his disk. "I order Light Brigadier and Kaiser Seahorse to attack your two face-down defenders! Go now my monsters!" Both of his creatures charged and slammed their weapons down on the set cards, destroying them.

Negative flipped both cards face-up. "You've attacked Aura Zombie (1000/1600) and Spirit Reaper (300/200) with monsters that cannot destroy them." The first creature was a hideous walking corpse with a strange aura of white ectoplasm hovering around it. The second creature was a reaper in a strange purple robe.

Ichigo's body frowned. "End turn."

Negative drew. "I summon Chaos Shaman (500/500) in defense mode. Also I set one card face-down on the field." A black-cloaked form with a bull's skull over its face appeared on the field. "I end my turn and activate the effect of Chaos Shaman. By drawing cards from my deck until I reach a monster, you will then take damage equal to half of the drawn monsters attack points." She tugged the top card off of her deck and held it up. "Behemoth of Shadows (3000/2100) means that you lose 1500 life points!" The Shaman charged up a ball of lightning that it hurled across the field into her opponent.

Negative- 5200

Ichigo?- 1000

Ichigo's body drew slowly, attempting to ignore the wisps of smoke that wafted into its nose. "I set one card face-down on the field and order Kaiser Seahorse to attack Chaos Shaman!" The blue-armored warrior leapt forward and slashed the spellcaster in half. "End turn."

Negative- 5200

Ichigo?- 800

Negative drew. "I'm nearly certain I know who you are now. Activate the magic card Soul Exchange, letting me sacrifice your Kaiser Seahorse to set a monster in defense mode. End turn."

Ichigo's body drew. "You think you know who I am? Then let's see just how knowledgeable you really are. End turn."

("Where is the Hell Meteor?") Negative drew. ("With it this duel would be already mine.") "In her dreams lately, Eri has been imagining a horrible ancient duel between two beings of fairly noticeable power. You're one of those two beings, aren't you? After all, Ichigo has a strange resemblance to one of the two in the dream…and perhaps that is why she has a hate for him? Well isn't it funny that you're the actual man of her literal dreams?" She slid a card into her disk. "I activate the continuous magic card Ectoplasmer. As long as this card is in play each of us must sacrifice one monster on our field each turn to deal our opponent half of the sacrificed creature's attack in life point damage." Her Aura Zombie faded away. "That means you lose…"

"Not so fast!" Ichigo's body motioned to one of its set cards. "I activate my Gift of the Mystical Elf trap card! Now I gain 300 life points for every monster in play!" A white light shimmered around him.

Negative- 5200

Ichigo?- 2500

A ball of white ectoplasm flew across the field and slammed into his chest.

Negative- 5200

Ichigo?- 2000

Ichigo's body drew. "Now it's my turn! I set one monster in defense mode and sacrifice Light Brigadier to deal you 800 life points of damage!" A wave of white ectoplasm slammed into Negative.

Negative- 4400

Ichigo?- 2000

Negative drew. "Why won't you answer me? How close am I to the truth? End turn." The Poison Mummy faded away and was replaced by a ball of white ectoplasm that slammed into her opponent.

Negative- 4400

Ichigo?- 1500

Ichigo's body drew. "I'll win this duel. There is too much at stake for me to lose! I summon…"

Negative flipped up her face-down card. "We're in the last turn for you, dear dream wolf. I activate the trap card Summon Negating Spirit. By discarding one card I may stop you from summoning this turn and draw one card."

Ichigo's body frowned and nodded. "Then take you turn."

Negative drew slowly, a sick smile on her face as she held up the two cards in her hand. "One from my trap and one for my turn…and this duel is over."

Ichigo's body gritted its teeth. ("She drew it.")

Negative slid a card into her duel disk. "I know that you are something important to Eri…but she is mine and you will not take her away from me! Go Hell Meteor! Prepare to be crushed!" The red and black ball of fire gathered in the air above them.

Ichigo's body smiled slightly. "The only one of us that is dying today will be you."

"What!?" Negative watched as the Hell Meteor began its descent.

"Reverse card open!" A glowing silver hand mirror appeared on the field. "Spirit Mirror allows me to negate any magic card that targets a player and change its target! Take this…Hell Meteor reflection!" The mirror released a beam of light that slammed into the Hell Meteor and sent it flying back towards Negative. "You're about to be done in by your own card!"

"That's what you think!" The demon spirit's last face-down card flipped up. "I activate the trap card Dark Escape! This negates one damage effect against me by sacrificing one card on my field. I'll give up Ectoplasmer so that I can keep my Spirit Reaper!" The Meteor slowed to a stop and faded out of existence. "Then I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Ichigo's body went silent. ("What can I do…against her? I don't have any cards in my deck that can destroy my own monsters…and without that I cannot get back my Ultimate Diamond Dragon.")

_("What are you worried about? You're definitely skilled enough to win.")_

Ichigo's body blinked in surprise and looked off to its side, where a phantasmal form floated. ("Ichigo!? What are you doing here? You're at risk as long as you are outside of the area I place you!")

_("I'm not in danger. I'm still there…but I'm here to. Keep in mind that by occupying my body you have created a link between us that isn't broken easily.")_ The phantasmal half-demon smiled and winked.

("But…how could you know that?")

_("It isn't important as to how I know…what is important that you save Eri. I know who you are now and that means you must remember. Call out your real power, and summon a creature that exists in my deck. Together we can beat her right now.")_ Ichigo placed his hand on his own body's shoulder. "It's our turn…and time to end this madness."

Rikuo, Daniel, Negative, and Sammy all blinked in surprise as they heard that.

Ichigo's body nodded and brought its emerald gaze to Negative. "This duel is over! You are no longer needed in Eri's life! My turn…draw!" He snapped the top card off of his deck and with one look at it he knew exactly what was needed. "I will let you know who I am now."

Everyone held their breath…

"My name is Ahran Amero, son of Rikuo Amero. I died protecting my family's honor, and then my soul was tied to the stone that held the sealed away Kilomet Sestros. When the stone was destroyed my soul was freed and found a place to rest within Ichigo Pilkington's body. And now…I will protect my sister from you!!!" Ahran's eyes reflected a determination that couldn't be denied. "First though, I activate the magic card Instant Summon! By discarding one card from my hand and sacrificing a monster on my field I can summon any monster from my hand without worrying about its requirements! So now I sacrifice my facedown to summon out this! Awaken, Destructive Dragon Gondola!" There was an explosion of light from his field as a huge dark blue dragon with numerous red crystals all over its body appeared on the field. (?/?)

Negative's eyes widened. "How do you have that creature in your deck!? It isn't a light monster!"

"I don't have it…but Ichigo does. And since this is Ichigo's deck then Ichigo's cards are my cards as well!" Ahran motioned to his dragon. "Destructive Dragon Gondola special ability activate now! By paying half of my life points I can remove all monsters on the field from play, and then Gondola will be destroyed! Destruction Scream!" The dragon's red crystals shimmered and then released a shotgun blast of energy that pounded the field with red light. As soon as the beams ended the dragon roared and exploded into pieces. "And since I just destroyed a monster on my field, I may bring back my ultimate creature! Come out now, Ultimate Diamond Dragon!" (3500/3500) The titanic crystal dragon appeared on the field and roared angrily.

Negative brushed the smoke off of her shoulder and motioned to her face-up card. "My trap card prevents your effect from working. The continuous trap card Dark Barricade costs 2000 life points per turn but as long as it is on the field you cannot destroy my monsters or remove them from play. So for this turn you cannot finish me off."

Ahran smiled slightly at the phantasmal Ichigo next to him. "Sorry to destroy your hopes Negative, but I was hoping you'd make your monsters impossible to destroy this turn. Because there is a reason my Ultimate Diamond Dragon is the best monster I have." He lifted his hand slowly and pointed at the Spirit Reaper. "Genocide Crystal Explosion!" A glittering ball of light charged up in the mouth of the dragon. "This special attack hits all monsters on your field when used. What makes it so dangerous is the fact that it deals damage through defense."

The Ultimate Diamond Dragon snapped its head across the field and released a single stream of diamond light that slammed into all of Negative's monsters.

Ahran stuck his hands into his pockets and bowed his head slightly. "It was a pleasure dueling you, but now it's time for you to go! As your penalty game I banish you from Eri's body and this plane of existence!"

Negative- 0

Ahran- 750

The dark spirit smiled slightly. "I'll be back. Do you really think that I found Erika through my own power? She was given to me as something of a present. Master Midnight wanted me to keep her under my influence for as long as I could. Trust me Ahran…I'll be back to claim your soul tommorow."

"Tommorow?" Ahran narrowed his eyes slightly. "How could you know that?"

"It's quite simple really. This message is for your ears as well, Rikuo Amero." Negative continued to fade away, but could still be heard clearly. "Kilomet Sestros has requested your prescense tommorow at the arena of his choosing. Understand?"

Rikuo nodded slightly. "I'd be more than happy to end that annoying bastard."

Negative brought her gaze to Daniel next. "You also have a duel. It is against someone I'm sure you will be happy to battle."

Daniel crossed his arms across his chest and sighed. "Sure…let's just make it a regular blow-out."

Finally Negative spoke to all of them at once. "If you wish to know who Midnight is then bring everyone who owns a seal card. Bring anyone else you wish, but those people must be there."

"Where is there?" Ahran continued to glare at Negative.

The dark spirit left three words floating on the wind. "The old mansion."

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"The message has been delivered."

Midnight sat back in his chair and nodded slowly. "Excellent. Prepare the specters for battle."

Kilomet Sestros nodded and walked out, a dark smile across his face. ("Rikuo Amero…you cannot hope to beat me this time.")

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Rikuo stared at Ahran while the boy went to go check on Erika. ("Unbelievable…he found a way to survive. Just like me, he found a way to survive.")

"So how are we going to deal with this?" Daniel whispered quietly. "I'd rather not have to share my son."

Rikuo nodded. This situation did not appeal to him either. "I cannot think of what else we could do though. Unless Jourgen has some kind of special method to fix this…circumstance then our sons will stay connected like you and I was."

Ahran stood up and smiled over at Rikuo. "My father…you are alive." He walked up to Rikuo and wrapped the wolf demon into a big hug.

Rikuo blinked in surprise. "Yeah…I made do with the whole dying thing."

Daniel tapped Ahran on the shoulder. "Umm…can I please see my son now?"

Ahran gasped in remembrance and nodded. A few seconds later his emerald eyes disappeared and were replaced by Ichigo's hazel orbs. "Hey dad."

Daniel smiled and ruffled his son's hair. "I guess life isn't going to get any easier for you, is it?"

Ichigo shook his head. "I don't mind sharing my body with Ahran. He's a great duelist and a pretty cool guy too. Now if you guys will excuse me I have to go find Griff!" The half-demon turned on one heel and ran off in search of his roommate.

Rikuo rolled his eyes and looked over at Eri. "So now I have two kids. I'm sure Jasmine will love that idea."

Sammy blinked in confusion. "So…what just happened?"

_To be continued…_


	39. Day before the beginning of nightmares

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 39: Day before the beginning of nightmares

_("So what is that strange box on your desk?")_

("That would be a radio, Ahran.") Ichigo smiled slightly at the complete lack of knowledge his other half had. ("So you really don't know anything about today's technology?"

_("My apologies that I do not, but I've only been 'alive' for about two days now. Is this a bad thing?")_

("Nope, I'll be glad to teach you all about our world. For example, do you know that technology has given everyday people the power to fly?")

_("Fly? Now that I would like to see.")_

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Krieger looked over at Ichigo and smiled slightly. "So you've got a 'voice' in your head huh?"

Ichigo's eyes turned emerald and Ahran winked to Krieger. "I'm not a 'voice'. My name is Ahran Amero. You must be Krieger, the one who talks to his favorite card?"

Krieger blushed and let the discussion rest.

Griff looked out at the falling sun worriedly. ("Why do I feel so…weird?") He looked over at Krieger. "You have some time in your busy schedule for a duel with your roommate?"

Krieger nodded excitedly. "I'd love to! It's been so long since I have dueled anyone! How about we use the duel disks?"

Griff picked his disk up and walked outside. "That's fine with me."

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Rikuo looked his deck over and nodded in satisfaction. "These new cards I got through the academy should make sure I'll win."

Daniel, who was just a few feet away, was staring at his Soul Deck calmly. Thoughts that flashed through his head translated to changes in his deck. ("Elemental Heroes or Machines? Either one has an advantage. The Heroes have powers that my Machines can't copy, and vice-versa.")

Rikuo looked over at his other half. "So have you contacted the other 'seal' holders?"

Daniel nodded slowly. "I've requested for Hitokage Seijitsu to meet us tommorow afternoon for a 'special session'. Since it will get him out of a week's worth of class he seemed eager to agree. Well as eager as someone of his personality level could be without exploding into flames."

Rikuo arched an eyebrow. "And the others?"

Daniel snorted and pulled the top card off of his deck to reveal Elemental Hero-Sparkman. (1600/1400) "Except for Krieger, Eri and Ichigo there aren't any others, are there?"

Rikuo shrugged and copied his other half's action, revealing a ritual magic card. "I suppose not."

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Krieger- 4000

Griff- 4000

Krieger smiled to his roommate from across their make-shift playing field. "Do you mind if I go first? I need the practice, since I'll be busy tommorow."

Griff silently nodded, feeling uneasy that he had still yet to tell anyone about his new card.

Krieger slid the top card off of his deck. "I set one monster face-down on the field and end my turn."

Griff snapped the top card off of his deck and added it to his hand. "Get ready Krieger, because I'm going to make sure you're up to par for tommorow! First I play the magic card Confiscation! At the cost of 1000 life points I'll select one card from you hand and send it to the graveyard!" Holographic copies of all of the cards in Krieger's hand appeared on the field in front of him. "Discard your Widespread Ruin trap card."

Krieger grimaced and nodded, inserting the card into his graveyard.

Krieger- 4000

Griff- 3000

The Egyptian boy took two cards from his, inserting one into his disk and then placing the other one onto it. "I set one monster face-down on the field and set one card face-down. End turn."

Krieger drew. "I summon Fire Princess (1300/1500) in attack mode!" A girl in fire-red robes appeared on the field. "Attack his defender now!" She lifted her hands and released a wave of fire that shattered Griff's set monster.

Griff caught a card that was snapped out of his deck and slapped it onto his disk. "By destroying Lucky Coin (0/100) you have allowed me to special summon a monster from my deck with 500 or less attack points to the field!" A little owl in a purple robe appeared on the field. "I summon Sage Owl (300/500) in defense mode!"

Krieger slid a card into his disk and nodded to Griff. "Your turn."

"Here I go! Draw!" Griff drew. "Open face-down trap card, go now Reckless Greed! This trap card lets me sacrifice my next two draw phases to draw two cards from my deck!" He snapped two cards off of his deck and slid them both into his disk. "I set these two cards face-down and end my turn."

Krieger drew. "I flip up Essence of Fire (500/1500) into attack mode and then summon Ultimate Baseball Kid (500/1000) in attack mode!" A ball of fire with a face and a short little human in a red baseball uniform with a bat appeared on the field. "Essence of Fire, when destroyed, deals my opponent 500 life points of damage. And Ultimate Baseball Kid gains 1000 attack points for every fire monster on the field excluding itself." (2500/1000) He lifted his hand and pointed at Griff's owl. "I order Fire Princess to attack your owl!" The woman leapt across the field and slammed her staff down on the little bird, blowing it apart.

Griff removed his deck from his disk and searched through it quickly. "You just attacked my Sage Owl, and that was a big mistake. When destroyed it lets me search my deck for any one continuous magic card and place it into my hand. So I'll look for the continuous magic card Mirage of Nightmare!" He re-inserted his deck into his disk and smiled slightly. Any uneasiness he had felt before was now gone.

Krieger nodded at the wise move. "I know what that card does, and with its power you can draw cards to replace the ones you're going to have to use. Unfortunately, you left yourself wide open! Essence of Fire attacks your life points directly!"

Griff motioned to one of his set cards. "I activate the trap card Magic-Arm Shield!" A metal plate appeared on his field and shot out a claw that grabbed the Ultimate Baseball Kid and pulled it over to his field. "Now you must attack your monster with Essence of Fire!" The little fireball flew across the field and was smacked with bat, launched backwards to slam into Krieger's chest.

Krieger- 2000

Griff- 2500

Krieger slid three cards into his disk. Three holographic representations of those cards flashed onto the field. "I set three cards face-down and end my turn."

Griff nodded and mentally ticked off the fact he could draw for this turn or the next. "I set one monster in defense mode, three cards face-down, and then play the continuous magic card Mirage of Nightmare! End turn."

Krieger drew. "Here I go…"

Griff snapped four cards off of his deck. "Mirage of Nightmare activates during your standby phase! Now I draw until I have four cards in my hand!"

Krieger nodded sagely and slapped a card onto his disk. "Nice, but it doesn't matter. Those aren't traps. All they are is cards that you needed out of your hand to draw. I summon Thing in the Crater (1000/1200) in attack mode!" A pair of white eyes appeared on the field, surrounded by lava. "Now I attack with Fire Princess!" The woman launched forwards and slammed her staff down on the set card, blowing it apart. "Now Ultimate Baseball Kid attacks you for the game!" The little warrior charged forwards, only to suddenly spin around and slam its bat across the face of the Thing in the Crater, blowing the lava monster apart.

Griff motioned to his face-up card. "I activate the continuous trap card Confusion Amongst the Ranks. This trap card requires that I sacrifice a magic or trap card for it to work, but when I do it negates a direct attack to my life points and the attacking monster goes after one of your creatures." He removed a card from his disk and winked. "And I'll be sacrificing Mirage of Nightmare."

Krieger- 500

Griff- 2500

Krieger stared at his opponent, trying to figure out exactly what had just happened.

Griff held up the four cards he had drawn through Mirage of Nightmare's effect. "Let me put it like this. I'm keeping these cards now."

("Maybe, but I still intend to deal you damage this turn!") Krieger motioned to his set cards. "Reverse card open! I activate my set magic card Ookazi!" One of the cards flipped up and a wave of fire leapt out of it to slam into Griff's body. "This magic card deals you 800 life points of damage! End turn!"

Krieger- 500

Griff- 1700

Griff nodded and made a mental note that Reckless Greed's effect was gone now. ("I can draw next turn.") "I play the magic card Pot of Greed, drawing two cards from my deck." He slid two cards off of his deck and added them to his hand. "I set one card face-down on the field and summon Dark Scorpion (250/300) in defense mode! End turn."

Krieger drew. ("Dark Scorpion, when destroyed, lets Griff take any Dark Scorpion monster from his deck and special summon it to the field.") He frowned and slapped a card onto his disk. "I summon Blazing Inpachi (1850/0) to the field in attack mode." A being made up of flaming wood appeared on his field. "End turn."

Griff drew. "So is that it Krieger? Without your partner you can't even duel properly, can you?" He knew that he was being harsh, but it was necessary. ("You've got to be on your best in case these guys challenge you.") Then he looked at his hand card and felt tingles run down his spine. ("It's that magic card from before.") His Seal card…he'd nearly forgotten about it. "I sacrifice Dark Scorpion to set a monster in defense mode. End turn." There was a flash of light and a towering warrior holding a heavy hammer appeared on the field in a crouching position. (1800/1500)

Krieger drew, shivering as only a thin line of sunlight remained. "It's going to get dark soon, so we should head inside so that we don't catch our death of cold."

Griff wasn't listening. He was on his knees and gasping for air. ("It burns…what's happening!?")

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Ichigo blinked in confusion as he was suddenly no longer in control of his body. _("What's the matter Ahran?")_

The wolf demon frowned and sniffed the air worriedly. ("Something powerful has just been awakened. I'm not sure what it is, but…") He charged out through the front door and looked out at the courtyard, where Krieger and Griff stood. ("It's right there!")

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Griff's eyes opened slowly to reveal dark-red irises. "Play your card…now!"

Krieger paled at the sudden harshness to his roommate's tone. "What's the matter Griff?"

"I said play your card!" The Egyptian boy's upper lip lifted to reveal a pair of fangs.

Krieger gulped. ("What's the matter with him?") "Um…I end my turn?"

Griff sneered and drew. "Your loss, little fool. Now that I have been freed…this world will suffer." He slapped a card onto his disk. "Come out now, Dark Earth Elemental!" (2000/1600) A towering being made of black clay appeared on the field. "Attack Fire Princess now!"

Krieger motioned to his set card. "I activate my Chain of Grenades continuous trap card! When a fire monster on the field is destroyed then one other monster is destroyed with it! Also, the effect of my other face-down trap card will protect me from the life point damage! Go Orb of Flaming Life! Instead of me taking damage now my monster's death will mean a life point gain!" The dark clay fist punched through his monster, but his life points rose.

Krieger- 2500

Griff- 1700

Griff chuckled and motioned to his Elemental. "My creature is immune to the effects of trap cards. End turn."

Krieger drew. ("He's acting…like I remember dad acting like once.") He slid the drawn card into his graveyard. "Pot of Greed lets me draw two cards!" As the two cards entered his hand he felt a shrill whistle of warning in his head. ("Horus?")

_("Beware Master…this is not what it appears to be. The being you see before you is a demon named Terra. He was a spirit who was accidentally sealed in with the power of the earth seal card. You must not underestimate his skill.")_ The dragon's child-like voice was so direly serious that Krieger felt the beginnings of fear stirring in his heart.

Terra licked his lips and tilted back his head to sniff the air. "It is so good to be alive once more. There is a saying that a sealed wolf demon thief is a bored demon thief. Well that is very true. Perhaps I should make this little battle a darkness game, just to add to the fun?"

Krieger hissed in anger. "What did you do with Griff!?"

"He's still here." The wolf demon smirked and lifted a hand to point at his opponent. "Now make your move or lose this battle."

Krieger frowned but complied. "I set one card face-down on the field and summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 0 (1000/1000) to the field in attack mode!" The little steel-feathered form of his monster appeared on the field. "End turn."

Terra drew. "So what year is it? Then again…I'll find out on my own soon enough!" He started to reach for his card…and then his eyes went wide in surprise. "What!?"

Rikuo whispered into his ear. "It's been a long time Terra, and I knew I smelled your stink." He withdrew his nail from the pressure point it had pressed into.

"Amero…you…" Whatever else the thief was going to say was cut off as he collapsed face-first to the dirt.

Rikuo hefted Griff's body over his shoulder and walked up the stairs to the boy's room, leaving a flabbergasted Krieger to stand outside.

Ahran smiled at Rikuo. "Heya dad."

"Hey kid." Rikuo dumped Griff's body onto his bed and then froze up. He slowly turned around to look at Ahran. "……………"

"What's wrong?"

Ichigo knew what was wrong. _("Go check in a mirror.")_

Ahran went into the bathroom and looked at the mirror on the wall. What greeted him was not what he expected. ("I'm…female?") It was true. Except for the still-emerald eyes, Ahran looked just like Ichigo did in his female form.

Ichigo sighed and her voice echoed in Ahran's mind. _("This is why I dislike Blessings of Luna. I was hoping the curse was just flat out gone…but I guess I'm not that lucky. Sorry for getting you into this.")_

Though the wolf demon couldn't say that he was happy about this…he wasn't terrified. ("It is alright…I'd rather be like this and alive, instead of dead.")

Rikuo groaned and rubbed his face a couple of times. ("I now have two kids who change genders when exposed to moonlight. Oh yeah…I love magic.")

_To be continued…_

Author's Notes: Yes, I did cancel a duel. Mostly because I'm saving my creative energy for the next chapter. Believe me, it'll be worth it.

To Seeker of the Soul: The cuteness compels you!

To Adriel: Indeed, it will be something.

To Whitewolf7187: Yes it did change. Luna has finally started listening to Ichigo.

To Bobbomp: I try.

To Anime Albino: Yes he will.

To Luna's Meow: The Crystal Dragons are all light monsters and that is what Ahran likes to play with.


	40. The Welcoming Committee

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 40: The Welcoming Comittee

"So we're supposed to be here?" Rikuo glanced up at the moon and then looked at the old mansion. "This old place is where we are supposed to meet Midnight?"

"That's what Negative said." Daniel rubbed his wrist repeatedly, feeling very nervous. This whole confrontation thing wasn't something he liked to do a lot. It wasn't that he couldn't deal with it, but the whole idea of battling against an opponent he didn't know anything about didn't settle with him very well.

"Perhaps we should go inside?" Hitokage continued to give Ichigo and Eri sideways glances. "What do you think, Ichi-chan?"

"Watch it, jerk." Ichigo bristled slightly at the fact that she had to tell the truth about the curse of Luna to the Obelisk Blue duelist.

Eri had remained silent since he had seen Hitokage. If he could avoid it, then he would prefer not to have someone he knew to find out who he really was.

Hitokage watched back the still snarling Ichigo and looked Eri over for a few seconds. "I assume you are in a similar boat, Amero?"

Eri growled low in his throat, the sound deep and threatening.

The blond-haired boy left it at that and walked up to Rikuo. "So, what are we doing here?"

"I'm here to mop up what's left of a sad old opponent of mine, and they're here for whatever reasons they wish." The wolf demon didn't take his eyes off of the front door of the mansion. ("I know you can hear me, Sestros. Come out and let's finish this once and for all. I grow tired of sitting in the dark and wondering if you'll appear again.")

Hitokage frowned at the useless answer he had just been given. ("Can't any of these demons simply answer a question without getting angry or without giving an obscure answer?") "Professor Pilkington, I'm sure you can explain this better."

Daniel shook his head. "There's not much to explain. If you want to know more about this seal card of your then stick around and see what happens."

Hitokage sighed and walked towards the back of the group. "Reinhardt, where is Mohistava?"

Krieger paled slightly and scratched the back of his head innocently. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Oh you don't? Then who is hiding in the tree up above me?" Hitokage kicked the trunk of said tree sharply. "Come down Mohistava, I wish to speak with you."

"I can speak just fine from up here," came a harsh reply.

"You have something to hide?" The blond-haired boy shrugged, knowing well that he would find out about it soon enough. "Suit yourself then."

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Daniel looked over at Rikuo. "So who is Terra?"

"A demon I'd rather not talk about. For now he has figured out that if he emerges I'll beat his face in, so let's leave it at that." Rikuo closed his eyes and felt the stirrings of energy somewhere in the air around them. "Now isn't the time to discuss stupid things like him. Someone comes…"

"There's no need to be silent about Terra just because I am coming, dear friend." Ryu smiled slightly and bowed as he appeared from behind the tree that Griff was hiding in. "It has been so long since we have spoken. How are you both?"

Daniel and Rikuo both smiled at the same time. "We're okay."

The dragon demon chuckled calmly as memories came back to him. "Ah yes, your double duel during the World Tournament. That does bring back some memories. Now then, why are all of you simply standing around in front of an old abandoned building?"

"We're waiting for someone…someone we'd all prefer would just stay dead." Rikuo's ears perked up at the sound of someone shuffling their feet behind his friend. "Who's that behind you?"

"Ah yes, that would be my son." Ryu stepped aside and motioned to a form behind him. "Come out and say hello."

"We've already met." Adriel stepped out into the moonlight and glanced over at Ichigo. "Hello there Ichigo. I've been hoping we'd see each other sooner or later."

Ichigo narrowed her eyes and smiled slightly. "Why's that? Have you wanted to lose lately?"

"Would you care to back up your words!?" The boy started to move forward, but was stopped as his father's arm snapped up and stopped him in his tracks.

Ryu looked over at Daniel. "The Seal cards…Adriel also have one. If I am correct, each of our younger demons and non-demons here also have one? That would make six?"

Daniel nodded. "Yeah. They've been a bit of a problem."

Rikuo blinked as he noticed something about his dear friend. "Why is your hair black, Jourgen?"

Ryu chuckled and ran a hand through the raven locks. "That would be because it is winter. Where most people and animals grow winter coats, dragons simply turn a much darker color to help absorb more heat."

Everyone went silent as a sudden prescense appeared around them. It was a small army of the black-cloaked specters. One of them stepped free from the crowd and lifted a bony hand to motion to all of them. _("Our master is ready to see you now.")_ The shadows lifted up from the ground and formed a sphere around all of them. A few seconds later the sphere collapsed to reveal all of them standing in a small room with three doors in front of them. _("All Seal holders will go into the right door. Upon special request of Lord Midnight, Jourgen Politumas and Rikuo Amero will go through the left door.")_ Its head turned to look at Daniel. _("The middle door is for you.")_

Rikuo and Ryu nodded to each other before looking at their children. "Be careful."

Eri, Adriel and Ahran all nodded.

Daniel looked back at Ahran. "Keep my son safe."

Ahran nodded once more.

Everyone went through their chosen doorways, ready for anything.

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Daniel closed the door slowly, careful not to slam it. ("Might as well try to be quiet.") He looked behind him and blinked in surprise at the room he was in. ("A throne room?")

"Welcome to my private chambers, mister Pilkington," an eloquent voice said from the throne at the head of the shadowed room. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you face to face. Such a shame that you will be dead before this hour is over."

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Rikuo and Ryu were both silent as they entered through the door. They both knew that there was no need for words where Sestros was concerned. The room they had entered was filled with numerous black glass mirrors that covered every inch of the room, including the floor.

In the middle of the room a single form stood like a statue. "Do you believe in destiny?"

Rikuo stepped back his friend and took a few steps forward into the room. "What I believe in is not important. Belief and truth are completely different. If I was wrong, then you would not have returned."

The Torture King, his entire body obscured by shadow, chuckled quietly. "Destiny is a thing that is as real as you or me. It binds us all together in a way that cannot be denied. You, I, Jourgen, and countless others from the past are all destined to never die. Death is not possible for us, is it?" He lifted his head and opened his eyes, bloody irises glowing in the darkness. "Though the question was rhetorical…I would like to hear your answer."

Rikuo snorted derisively. "My existence is something that cannot be compromised. I will never die as long as I have a will to live, and the only person who ever took that away from me was you. Now that I have overcome your wounds in my mind, I am not going to fall into darkness again."

"Is that so?" Dim light filtered into the room from an unseen source. "You already have come into darkness and you will not be leaving. Before this battle is done I will show you what has long since kept me alive. It is the true nature of demon-kind." There was a sick snapping noise as his duel disk popped itself into playing position. "We cannot be of the light Rikuo, for we are children of darkness. A pure demon is one who hasn't been tainted by petty emotions."

Rikuo removed his deck from his pocket and looked at it. "You think that? Then you truly are completely lost. If all being a demon means to you is that we are nothing but dark beings with no future other than war and hate, then I must prove you wrong in this battle. I no longer hate you, Kilomet Sestros. Such a feeling is long since lost to me where you are involved. All I feel now is pity that you cannot even truly understand what it is to live. Because of your immortality, you will never feel love…or anything else other than hate and cold." His golden eyes shimmered in the darkness. "I truly pity you."

The darkness came alive, pulsing around Sestros like a living thing. "By the time we are done this evening, you will hate me. I promise you this, Rikuo." The Torture King threw back his head and roared.

Rikuo had to throw up his hands as a sudden wind exploded against his face. ("His power…it's incredible! Where did he gain such energy!?")

Ryu stepped forward and lifted his hand, creating a barrier of energy that parted the wind. "You cannot do this alone, Rikuo. I will help you bring our nemesis to rest."

Sestros lowered his head slightly and smiled. "That is exactly what I wanted, Jourgen." He lifted his arms and his voice followed suit. "Now gentlemen, let the darkness begin!"

Rikuo slammed his deck into its slot on his disk. "Are you ready Jourgen?"

Ryu already had his portable duel disk on his arm. "Always."

Ryu- 4000

Rikuo- 4000

Sestros- 4000

Sestros slid his finger through the side of his deck, stopping near the top of it and withdrawing five cards in one pull.

Ryu glanced at Rikuo and then drew. "I'm first! Draw!" He looked his cards over and nodded. "I discard one card from my hand to play the magic card Cost Down! Now all monsters in my hand are two levels lower!" Without a thought about what to play, he grabbed a card and threw it down onto his monster zone. "Come out now Dragon Demon Lord (2400/1000) in attack mode!" A humanoid dragon in light armor and holding a spear appeared on the field. "Then I play this magic card from my hand! Go Lord's Ascension! This magic card takes one monster with 'lord' in its title and gives it an upgrade!" The form of the Dragon Demon Lord turned bright gold as it became covered in beautiful golden armor. "Grand Dragon General (3000/2500) arises!"

Sestros rolled his eyes. "You've just wasted almost your hand on summoning that weakling. Was it worth it?"

The dragon demon responded by sliding a card into his disk. "I set one card face-down on the field and then play Card of Sanctity. This magic card forces all players to draw cards until they hold six in their hand." He drew six cards and nodded to Rikuo once more. "End turn."

The wolf demon drew. "Here we go Sestros! I summon Silver Wind-up Knight (1000/1000) in attack mode!" A short mechanical knight appeared on the field. "Then I play the magic card Bond of Brothers! This magic card allows me to select two monsters of the same type as this one that are level four or less from my deck and special summon them to the field, and all at the bargain price of a 1000 life points!"

Sestros sighed and popped his neck by twisting it to the side. "That's the best you can do? What will Super Toy Knight be able to do?"

"Who ever said that I was looking for Bronze and Gold?" Rikuo removed two cards from his deck and threw them onto his disk. "Come out now, X-Head Cannon (1800/1500) and Y-Dragon Head (1500/1600) in attack mode!" A blue/yellow robot and a red mechanical dragon appeared on the field. "Then I play the magic card Steel Salvager! By sending my Silver Knight to the graveyard I can special summon a monster from my deck with the same number of level stars as the sacrificed monster, just as long as it is a machine sub-type!" The Silver Wind-up Knight disappeared and was replaced by a yellow tank. "Z-Metal Tank (1500/1300) is ready for the attack! Now I activate their special ability!" The three machines exploded and were replaced by a hover-tank that possessed parts from all of them. "XYZ Dragon Cannon (2800/2300) is summoned now! I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Sestros looked at the Grand Dragon General and then at the XYZ Dragon Cannon. "Such a powerful play that both of you have made." He drew. "But all for nothing. Prepare yourselves for my true power." His field magic card slot opened and he shoved a card into it. "I activate the field magic card Torture Court!" The field around them warped, becoming filled with huge steel devices that could only be used for one purpose. "In this place all monsters with the word 'Torture' in their title gain 1000 attack points."

Rikuo seemed unfazed by the numerous torture devices that hovered over his head. As did Ryu.

"You both think yourselves above my treatment?" The Torture King slapped a card onto his disk. "I summon Torture Brute (1600/1400) to the field in attack mode." A hulking ogre covered in numerous hooks and metal implements appeared on the field. "This monster gives all Torture monsters on the field a 400 attack point bonus." (2000/1400) "And Torture Court raises that power by 1000." (3000/1400)

Rikuo smirked slightly, though he didn't say anything.

Sestros slid a card into his disk. "I play the continuous magic card Torture Hordes. This effect allows me to place monsters from my hand into my magic and trap card zone if I wish. You cannot attack these creatures until you get through my front row." He slid a card into his disk. "And by playing this card I may summon a Torture monster from my hand immediately. So I summon Torture Jester (300/400) to the field in attack mode." A corpse wearing a jester's uniform appeared in play. All over its body were numerous different torture devices. "End turn."

Ryu snapped the top card off of his deck. After looking at it, he slammed it into his disk. "This duel is already over. From my hand I play the magic card Dragon's Judgment!" His Grand Dragon General looked over at Sestros and gave the Torture King a resounding thumbs-down. "That's a shame, it looks like he doesn't like you. Activating Dragon's Judgment allows me to sacrifice my battle phase to double the attack points of one monster on the field permanently!" His hand lifted up and then slowly lowered to point at the XYZ Dragon Cannon. "That is my target!" (5600/2300)

Sestros kept his eyes fixed ahead on his two opponents, barely showing any emotion at all.

The dragon demon slid a card into his disk and then nodded to Rikuo. "End turn."

The wolf demon snapped the top card off of his deck and then slammed a card into his disk. "I activate the magic card Twilight Sacrifice!" This magic card allows me to sacrifice one monster from my hand to raise the attack strength of a monster on my field by that amount! So I discard Irios the Steel Monarch (2700/2300) to raise XYZ Dragon Cannon's power by 2700!" (8300/2300)

Sestros smirked slightly and crossed his arms across his chest.

Rikuo pointed at the Torture Brute. "You won't be smiling in just a few seconds. XYZ Dragon Cannon, Hyper Destruction!" Numerous ports opened up on the machine's body and it began to charge up a small battalion's worth of cannons. "This duel just began and you're already finished! Go XYZ Dragon Cannon, attack Torture Brute now!!!" A wave of energy roared across the field and slammed into the ogre's chest, blowing it apart.

Ryu- 4000

Rikuo- 4000

Sestros: -1300

_To be continued…_

Author's Notes: Thank you very much for being patient with me. I'm sorry if I ended this soon but I currently have someone trying to converse with me when I don't want to converse.


	41. Escalating Battles

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 41: Escalating battles

_Rikuo pointed at the Torture Brute. "You won't be smiling in just a few seconds. XYZ Dragon Cannon, Hyper Destruction!" Numerous ports opened up on the machine's body and it began to charge up a small battalion's worth of cannons. "This duel just began and you're already finished! Go XYZ Dragon Cannon, attack Torture Brute now!!!" A wave of energy roared across the field and slammed into the ogre's chest, blowing it apart._

_Ryu- 4000_

_Rikuo- 3000_

_Sestros: -1300_

The Torture King felt the energy tear through his body, though he didn't respond to it. As soon as the blast passed through him he brushed his shoulder off and drew. "Very nice, but not good enough."

Rikuo and Ryu both glared at the life point total hovering over Sestros' head. "A negative life point total?"

Sestros withdrew a card from his graveyard and placed it onto his disk. "Torture Brute's second ability returns it to the field from my graveyard during my standby phase!"

"Explain why you are still alive!" Rikuo nearly roared.

"Oh yes, that." The Torture King motioned to the now laughing corpse on his field. "Torture Jester's special ability gives me a power known simply as endless life. The only way you can kill me now is to bring my life points exactly to zero."

"We have to deal you 1300 life points of damage?" Ryu scoffed and looked at his hand. "That won't be a problem."

"Who ever said 1300 life points of damage was the number?" The Torture King slid a card from his hand onto his disk. "I activate the magic card Hellish Summoning. This magic card allows all of us to pick one monster on our field and summon as many of it that we have in our deck out immediately." He snickered and motioned to his opponent's two monsters. "Now though…you two have monsters that cannot be called out in such a manner, don't you?" Two more Torture Brutes appeared on the field. "Now the attack of all Torture monsters on the field is raised by 800 points!"

Torture Brute (3800/1400)

Torture Jester (2500/400)

"Torture Brute, attack XYZ Dragon Cannon now!" One of the three monsters leapt across the field and slammed its fists down harmlessly onto the steel shell of the hover-tank. "And now your creature counter-attacks." The machine released a wave of energy that blew the Brute apart.

Ryu- 4000

Rikuo- 3000

Sestros: 4000

"Torture Brute number two attacks Grand Dragon General!" (3400/1400) The ugly ogre snarled and leapt across the field towards Ryu's monster.

"Reverse card open!" The dragon demon motioned to his right set card. "The trap card I just played is called Dragon's Essence! It will raise the attack power of my dragon by 1000 attack points for every card in my hand!" He held out his hand. "I have six cards, meaning that Grand Dragon General gains 6000 attack points!" (9000/2500) "Counter-attack! Spear of Dragon Mastery!" The draconic warrior threw its weapon and pierced the Brute's chest, blowing it apart.

Ryu- 4000

Rikuo- 3000

Sestros: -1600

Sestros chuckled and motioned to his third Brute. "This means my creature loses its bonus points." (3000/1400) "So I must simply set two cards face-down on the field and end my turn." Two brown-backed cards appeared on both sides of the Torture Jester.

Ryu cracked his knuckles and snapped the top card off of his deck. "I play this magic card! Go Soul Exchange!" The Torture Brute faded off of the field. "Now I sacrifice your monster to summon my own! Come out now Infernus the Pyro Dragon!" (2200/2000) A snake-like dragon made of fire appeared on his field. "I cannot attack this turn, but with your Hell Jester wide open to attack I'm sure Rikuo has the necessary card to defeat you. End turn."

Rikuo drew slowly, his mind calculating every possible method he had to get rid of that jester. ("If it dies right now then his life points should go to zero.") "I draw…" he added the card to his hand and took the other two, discarding them into his graveyard. "I activate the special ability of XYZ Dragon Cannon! By discarding a card from my hand I can destroy one card on your field! Since I got rid of two, then your two set magic and trap cards will now be destroyed!"

Sestros watched uninterestedly as his two set cards exploded into dust. "You just made your last mistake." Removing the cards from his disk, he held them up. "These are called Dark Coffin. I'm sure you remember what Dark Coffin does, right?"

The wolf demon paled visibly. "When it is destroyed…I must discard a card from my hand or destroy a monster on my field."

"Right." The Torture King slid the two cards into the graveyard. "So get rid of your XYZ Dragon Cannon and the single card in your hand."

Growling, Rikuo grabbed the card in his hand and snapped it around. "Not so fast Sestros! In response I activate the quickplay magic card Magnet Recovery! This will revive a machine monster in my graveyard to the field in defense mode!" The crouching form of his Silver Wind-up Knight appeared on the field in a crouching position. (1000/1000) "End turn."

Sestros drew. "Now Rikuo is nearly completely disabled. Without your hand you have no way to defeat me." With a snap of his fingers the Torture Brutes reappeared on the field. (3800/1400) "Now I set two cards face-down and order one of my monsters to attack your Silver Wind-up Knight!" The Brute roared and leapt across the field, slamming its fist down on the silver-plated machine and blowing it apart. "End turn."

Ryu drew, wiping a single drop of sweat from his forehead. ("Rikuo only has his face-down card left, and Sestros now has a perfect army of monsters. The only advantage we have is that my Dragon's Essence card gives the attack points to my monster permanently.") "From my hand I play the magic card Stamping Destruction! This card allows one dragon monster on my field to destroy a magic or trap card on your field and deal you 500 life points of damage in the process!" He pointed at the Torture Horde card. "With that gone your Torture Jester will be destroyed and you with it!"

"Are you so sure Jourgen?" Sestros snapped his fingers and one of his two set cards flipped up. "I activate the trap card Bone Shield." A plate of pure bone appeared in front of his continuous magic card. "This will not only negate your card, but destroy all monsters involved with its effect." The Grand Dragon General exploded into dust.

Rikuo frowned and glanced at Ryu. ("Jourgen…don't screw us over!")

The dragon demon looked at his single set card and then slid two more into his disk. "I set two cards face-down on the field and summon Gaius the Earth Dragon (500/2200) in defense mode!" A boulder-like dragon appeared on his field in a crouching position. "End turn."

Rikuo drew. "I set one card face-down on the field and end my turn."

Sestros drew. "You both look so worried. Perhaps I should give you some insight into my strategy?" He placed the card in his hand into his disk. "Come out now, Torture Bishop (300/1200) in attack mode." A cackling corpse in torn priestly robes appeared on the field next to the Jester. "This monster prevents you from affecting anything in my magic/trap card zone with monster, magic and trap effects. Also, it gains the attack bonus that comes from my Brutes and Court." (2500/1200) "Torture Brute number one, attack Infernus now!" The ogre howled out a war cry and charged across the field to strike down the monster.

Rikuo flipped his face-down card. "Reverse card open! I activate the trap card Mirror Force!" A glowing shield of blue light stopped the ogre's charge. "This trap will negate your attack and reflect it back at all of your creatures to destroy them. Now every monster you have in attack mode will be destroyed!"

Sestros frowned as his entire front row of monsters exploded into dust. "I was ready for that, though I wish I didn't have to do this. Main phase two is when I play the magic card Mass Restoration!" A shroud of darkness fell over the field and when it cleared all of his monsters were back. "Because of the effect of Mass Restoration, my turn ends."

Ryu snapped the top card off of his deck. "Here goes nothing!" He looked at the drawn card and then at Sestros. "We don't need or want any kind of advice that you offer. I play the magic card Monster Reborn to revive Grand Dragon General!" The golden-armored warrior appeared on the field next to Gaius. "Then I play the magic card Polymerization to fuse Infernus and Gaius together!" The two dragons were sucked into a glowing vortex. From within it emerged a draconic form made entirely of lava. "Magmus the Lava Dragon (2300/2200) in attack mode!" He snapped his fingers. "I activate the effect of Grand Dragon General. Now one random dragon monster in my graveyard will be special summoned to the field!" The earth next to him exploded as Gaius returned in defense mode.

Sestros snorted and waited patiently for his opponent to end his turn. "You cannot defeat me with weak dragons. Each of my Brutes has attack strength of 3800. Nothing on your field can overcome that."

"That will change in but a moment!" The dragon demon slammed his last card into his disk. "Go Polar Flame! This magic card can only be activated when Infernus or Magmus is on the field. It will now switch all of your monsters into defense mode and then Magmus will attack your entire front row with one ferocious assault!" All of the Brutes fell to their knees just in time to take a blast of lava to the face that blew them apart. "And Magmus' special ability deals damage equal to the attack of the destroyed monster to you! So now you lose 11400 life points! End turn."

Ryu- 4000

Rikuo- 4000

Sestros: 9800

Rikuo knew exactly what Ryu had planned. ("Now all I have to do is draw a monster with enough attack points to overcome the Jester and we will win this duel.") The top card was snapped off of his deck and he snickered when he saw it. "I play the magic card Monster Reborn! Come back to me Irios the Steel Monarch!" (2700/2300) A humanoid monster made of gears appeared on the field and flew across it to punch the head right off of the Jester. "End turn."

Sestros chuckled and drew. "Impressive play…but not enough. Because I have just drawn a card that can accomplish what I planned. Now then…are you ready to see the truth about our existence, Rikuo?"

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_Daniel closed the door slowly, careful not to slam it. ("Might as well try to be quiet.") He looked behind him and blinked in surprise at the room he was in. ("A throne room?")_

"_Welcome to my private chambers, mister Pilkington," an eloquent voice said from the throne at the head of the shadowed room. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you face to face. Such a shame that you will be dead before this hour is over."_

Daniel frowned and didn't say anything. There was nothing to be said.

Midnight felt otherwise though. "Do you even understand why I am doing what I do?"

"You're evil, I'm good. That's all there is to it. Now let's get this done, because I've got a class to teach tommorow." Daniel clicked his duel disk into place.

Midnight, who still was nothing more than a shadowed form on the throne, waved his hand and a glowing group of five huge Duel Monsters cards appeared in the air in front of him. "You may decide who goes first."

Daniel snapped the top card off of his deck. "Now it's time to begin! I draw and then summon Elemental Hero-Clayman (800/2000) in defense mode!" A block-bodied humanoid made of earth appeared on the field in a crouching position. "End turn!"

Midnight snapped his fingers and a sixth card joined the five. "Why are you helping to destroy your world?" He didn't bother to wait for an answer. "Come out now, Tribute Dragon (1400/1400) in attack mode!" A red and green dragon appeared on the field. "Then I play the magic card Tribute Doll. This will sacrifice my monster to summon a level seven monster from my hand to the field." The dragon faded and was replaced by a red-robed humanoid dragon. "Drake Mage (2500/2000) in attack mode. Since the effect of Tribute Doll prevents me from attacking this turn with the special summoned monster, I end my turn."

Daniel drew. "How am I helping to destroy the world? I recycle when I can." After looking at the drawn card he added it to his hand and slid a different one into his disk. "I activate Polymerization!" A swirling vortex of energy appeared on his field. "This magic card will fuse my Clayman with this monster!" A woman in red appeared on his field. "Elemental Hero-Burst Lady (1200/800) in attack mode!" Both monsters disappeared into the vortex and in their place was a strange-looking female version of Clayman with a shield in one hand and a rocket launcher in the other. "Elemental Hero-Rampant Gunner (2000/2500) in defense mode!" The hero monster dropped to one knee.

Midnight was about to draw…

Daniel whistled sharply. "At what point did I say that I was done? Now I attack with Rampant Gunner!" The hero lifted her rocket launcher arm and released a wave of rockets that exploded near the throne. "When Rampant Gunner is in defense mode it may attack the opponent directly at the cost of cutting its damage in half. End turn."

Midnight- 3000

Daniel- 4000

Midnight snapped his fingers and a card appeared next to his remaining three. "During my standby phase Tribute Dragon returns because it was sacrificed to a magic card effect." The red and green dragon reappeared on the field. "Then I play another Tribute Doll, sacrificing this monster to summon a level seven monster! Come out Dragon Blader!" (2600/2100) A humanoid black-scaled dragon in black armor with a huge sword over its shoulder appeared on the field. "Then I activate my Polymerization card to fuse these two creatures together and create this!" The two dragons disappeared and were replaced by a towering humanoid dragon in ornate armor. "Dragon Paladin (2900/2500) in attack mode! This monster is the answer to anyone who ever dared to play Dark Paladin against a dragon user. It gains 500 attack points for every warrior and spellcaster monster in both graveyards." (4400/2500) "Attack Rampant Gunner now!" The warrior leapt across the field and slashed Daniel's monster in half easily. "End turn."

Daniel folded up his hand and slid it into his shirt pocket. "What is with you? You're acting like I should be acting with you."

"You are the monster here, not me," Midnight replied coldly.

"Excuse me?" Daniel couldn't believe he was hearing this. "How am I a monster compared to someone who raises the technical dead as his servants?"

Midnight chuckled coldly. "Pitiful…you don't even understand that you are bringing about end of your world."

"Answer me!" Daniel hated to be toyed with, and this counted.

Midnight's answer was simple and quick. "Your son is evil…as is his friends. They possess a power that is evil in nature. I am not the villain here…you are."

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Ichigo felt cold. "Did he just say…we're evil?"

When they had entered in through the door they had been placed in a small theater room. There were two screens and on one of them the duel between Rikuo, Ryu and Sestros was being shown. On the other was Daniel and Midnight.

"It has to be a trick." Hitokage refused to believe that he was evil. Perhaps indifferent, but not evil.

Eri growled deeply and clenched his fists. "We stand for the light…"

Griff, who had mostly been absorbed into his own thoughts over his current predicament, was now unsure what to think about. ("Could I be evil because Terra is inside me?")

Krieger shook his head vehemently. "I know we're not evil!"

Adriel stayed silent. Honestly, he wasn't sure if he could be considered evil or not.

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Daniel spat onto the nicely furnished carpet. "I've heard enough. It's my turn." He took his hand out of his shirt pocket and drew from his deck. "I won't let you talk badly about my son!"

Midnight's voice was eternally calm. "What will you do about it?"

The half wolf demon slapped a card onto his disk. "I'll unveil one of my newest Elemental Heroes! I summon Elemental Hero-Soulman (1400/1200) in attack mode!" A humanoid figure in white mystic's robes appeared on the field. "He might not look like a superhero, but they come in all shapes and sizes!"

Midnight chuckled. "You just helped my Paladin with its attack points." (4900/2500)

Daniel popped his neck to the side slightly, and then slid two cards from his hand into his disk. "I set two cards face-down on the field and end my turn."

Midnight waved his hand and a card appeared in the air next to his single one. "Dragon Paladin, attack his Soulman now!" The dragon warrior roared and then charged towards Daniel's monster.

Daniel tapped a button on his duel disk. "I activate the trap card A Hero Emerges!" He held up the two remaining cards in his hand. "Now pick one."

Midnight seemed hesitant for a few seconds, and then pointed at the one of Daniel's left.

The half wolf demon smirked and slapped the card onto his disk. "I special summon Friendog (700/1200) in defense mode!" A black mechanical dog appeared on the field in a crouching position.

"What does it matter? You're about to lose your hero and most of your life points." Midnight didn't understand why having another monster on the field mattered that much.

"It matters because I reveal my other face-down card." Daniel motioned to his remaining card, which was now face-up. "This trap card is called Shift. It lets me redirect your attack to another monster on my field." The Paladin swerved and brought its blade swinging down to cut the Friendog in half. "And when Friendog is destroyed as a result of battle its special ability activates. Now I can take an Elemental Hero and a Polymerization card from my graveyard and add them to my hand." He held up Burst Lady and the magic card. "This reduces the attack power of your monster by 500 points, since Burst Lady is now in my hand." (4400/2500)

Midnight snorted and one of his two cards floated down behind the Dragon Paladin, which was standing on his field again. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Daniel drew. "Here we go! I activate the continuous magic card Soul Absorption! As long as this is in play I will gain 500 life points every time a card is removed from play!"

"What does that matter? I don't plan on removing any cards from play."

"I do." Daniel grabbed a card from his hand and slid it into his disk. "I play Polymerization, fusing Soulman and Burst Lady together to create Elemental Hero-Soul Burner!" (1000/1200) A female red-robed woman with a metal torch-like weapon in each hand appeared on his field. "Then I play the magic card Soul Release!"

"Soul Release?" Midnight snorted again. "What will removing cards from my graveyard do for you?"

Daniel reached into his graveyard slot and held up five cards. "Through the use of Soul Release I remove Soulman, Clayman, Burst Lady, Friendog, and Shift from the game to raise my life points by 2500."

Midnight- 3000

Daniel- 6500

"That's not all I did though!" Daniel smirked and pointed at the Dragon Paladin. "Your monster's attack points now go down since there is only one total warrior monster on my field and in my graveyard!" (3400/2500)

"So what?" Midnight's monster brandished its weapon. "My beast still has enough power to crush your monster."

"Are you so sure?" Daniel motioned to the torches in the hands of his Soul Burner. "Soul Burner's special ability increases her attack points by 500 for every card in the removed from play pile." (3500/1200) "Soul Torch Strike!" The hero leapt forward and slammed her weapon down on the head of the Dragon Paladin, blowing it apart. "End turn!"

Midnight- 2900

Daniel- 6500

Midnight didn't draw, but instead sat silently in his chair.

Daniel took that to mean that his destruction of the Dragon Paladin had been a significant blow to his opponent's ego. "You just want to take back calling my son evil now or should we wait until after I've destroyed you?"

"I will not let your darkness destroy law…it cannot be allowed." Midnight's hand snapped out in an arc and a card appeared in the air next to his single one. "I activate the magic card Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Soul Absorption now, before it causes anymore problems!" A sharp wind exploded across the field and shattered Daniel's card. "Then I play the magic card Swords of Revealing Light, preventing you from attacking me for three turns." Green glowing swords of light fell from the sky and slammed down all around Daniel's field. "Finally…I reveal my face-down card." The card flipped up and a wave of fire buried the half wolf demon. "This continuous trap card is called Rage of the Widow. It will deal you life point damage each of my turns equal to the number of monsters in my graveyard times 500 points."

Midnight- 2900

Daniel- 4500

Daniel came up from the fire coughing out ash. "You…jerk…"

"Perhaps I am a jerk…but I am still fighting for the right side." Midnight would not let the world fall to chaos.

_To be continued…_

To Seeker of the Soul: As you can see, I have something fiendishly clever in mind with the whole negative life point thing.

To whitewolf 7187: Who ever said it was the beginning of the end? I'm just getting started.


	42. Reasons for existing

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 42: Reasons for existing

_Rikuo knew exactly what Ryu had planned. ("Now all I have to do is draw a monster with enough attack points to overcome the Jester and we will win this duel.") The top card was snapped off of his deck and he snickered when he saw it. "I play the magic card Monster Reborn! Come back to me Irios the Steel Monarch!" (2700/2300) A humanoid monster made of gears appeared on the field and flew across it to punch the head right off of the Jester. "End turn."_

_Sestros chuckled and drew. "Impressive play…but not enough. Because I have just drawn a card that can accomplish what I planned. Now then…are you ready to see the truth about our existence, Rikuo?"_

The wolf demon snarled darkly and flexed his claws. "I don't want to see anything that you have to offer, Sestros. Just hurry up and play your card."

Sestros chuckled and slid the card into his disk. "That's just it though…the truth about our existence is my card." A glowing barrier of light appeared on the field. "I activate the shadow magic card Black Truth." The mirrors around them began to shimmer in bright prismatic colors. "Welcome to the magic effect zone. Since my target it Rikuo, he will be unable to duel for five turns. In this time I cannot draw or attack, though I do get to draw five cards."

Ryu smirked calmly. "Did you forget about me that quickly Sestros? Rikuo cannot duel, but I most certainly can. And since you just removed your best chance of winning by giving up the option to attack, you're about to be crushed by my dragons."

The Torture King lifted his hand and pointed straight at Rikuo. "See the truth, my 'son'."

"What are you…?" Rikuo's words stopped as he fell to his knees, eyes wide and unblinking. On his forehead was a glowing symbol of an open eye.

Ryu growled, the sound shaking the nearby mirrors. "What did you do to him?"

Amidst the glowing rainbow of colors, Sestros seemed like an odd creature. Yet somehow he continued to remain as dark as ever, even when surrounded by such bright light. "I'm letting him see what the truth of our existence is. It is what gave me my strength…and it will give him strength too."

The dragon demon hissed, the sound mirrored by all of his monsters. "You slime…"

"Sticks and stones, Jourgen." Sestros slapped two cards onto his disk. "These monster cards are called Tortured Souls." (500/500) "When drawn they are immediately summoned into play if Torture Court is on the field." A pair of gangly humanoids with their faces twisted into permanent horrified expressions appeared on the field. "And since their title has Torture in it, they gain attack points." (1500/500)

"If you think a pair of weak little 1500 monsters can faze me, then you are sadly mistaken Sestros." Ryu waved his hand across his field. "Each of these creatures I have possess the power needed to destroy them all."

"Who I ever said that I would be using these monsters to fight with?" The Torture King removed both of them from his disk and slid them into his graveyard. "I'm going to sacrifice my monsters to play my ritual magic card Anointment of Torture!" Both of the twisted monsters screamed and melted into puddles of slime. The slime oozed into the center of the field and from within it emerged a single blue-skinned form that towered over everything else on the field. "I'm sure you remember my ultimate monster, correct? The Torture King (2800/3000) is here to play!" Cackling wildly, the dark-robed monster raised its spiked whip and snapped it around the field.

"So your physical avatar has finally joined the fight?" Ryu risked a glance at the still silent Rikuo and then returned his attentions to the duel. "It isn't a threat."

"It will be in a moment." Sestros snapped his fingers and the three Torture Brutes returned to the field. "Now my monsters all receive a power boost."

Torture King (5000/3000)

Torture Brute (3800/1400)

Torture Bishop (2500/1300)

Ryu was silent now. ("He has the advantage in attack points, but his own magic card prevents him from attacking for five turns. That should give me enough time to develop some kind of strategy against his army.")

Sestros snickered sickly and discarded one card from his two remaining. "I play Pot of Greed. Now I draw two cards and add them to my hand." He looked at the two drawn cards and slapped one onto his disk. "My final Tortured Soul comes out to play." The third of the tortured beasts appeared on the field. (2700/500) "But it doesn't matter, because I will be sacrificing it to summon a new monster." It faded off of the field and was replaced by a smiling blue-skinned woman in a body covering dress. "Torture Queen (500/1500) is here. And this special lady gives my monsters with Torture in their title the power of being unaffected by trap cards. Also, she gets a nice power boost too." (2700/1500)

Ryu shrugged calmly. "Your own magic card prevents you from attacking me, so what does it matter?"

"It matters because I will be attacking this turn thanks to my magic card. It's a continuous little spell called Torture Rage. Now no effect can prevent my monsters from attacking for the rest of the game." Sestros lifted his hand and pointed at the Grand Dragon General. "Torture Brute attacks your monster now!" Roaring, the ogre charged across the field and raised its fist high to punch through Ryu's monster.

The dragon demon and his avatar didn't flinch. Instead they both pointed at the card set on the field. "Activate Negate Attack. This will negate your monster's attack and end your battle phase." The fist stopped a few inches from the General's face and the Brute returned to Sestros field.

The Torture King nodded his consent. "I thought as much. By using Negate Attack you have bypassed my Queen's ability this turn. End turn."

Ryu slid the top card off of his deck and snapped it over to show it to Sestros. "I play Card of Demise. Now I draw until I hold five cards in my hand. In five turns I must discard my turn however." He snapped five cards off of his deck and licked his lips. "Or I would if I didn't play this magic card." He inserted the card into his disk and a white wave of light swept across the field. "Purge of Debt removes all floating effects that remain from out of play cards. This means I will not have to discard my hand."

"Then I set one card face-down on the field and play the magic card Fusion Return. Its effect lets me take a Polymerization magic card from my graveyard and add it to my hand!" He held up the card and discarded it. When his hand came back from the graveyard it was holding Polymerization.

"Now I activate Polymerization to fuse these two monsters together! Come out now…Smoke the Shade Dragon (0/0) and Crystallis the Ice Dragon (2200/2000) fuse together to create Tainted Ice Dragon (2200/2000) in attack mode!" A huge snake-like dragon made of black ice appeared on the field. "This monster is unaffected by trap cards, though since its attack is so low it will be unable to attack anything you have for now."

Ryu slid the last card he was holding into his disk, making his number of set magic/trap cards three again. "End turn."

Sestros chuckled and pointed at the Grand Dragon General. "Go now Torture Brute…crush it!" The ogre started to charge…

Ryu flipped up his center face-down card. "I'm not beaten yet! Though your monsters may be unaffected by trap cards mine on the other hand are. Reveal Burst Flash! This trap cards requires I sacrifice a dragon monster on my field but in return ends your battle phase!" Gaius snarled and released a blinding flash of light as it exploded.

Sestros sighed as his entire front row was no longer able to see. "End turn."

Ryu drew. "I play Pot of Greed to draw two cards. Then I set two cards face-down on the field and activate Grand Dragon General's effect now!" Gaius exploded out of the ground. "End turn."

Sestros was making a mental count of the number of turns he would have to wait. ("I still have four turns before I can draw again.") "Go Torture Brute…crush his Gaius this time!"

Ryu didn't even flinch as the ogre shattered his defending dragon. "Is that the best you can do? If you think I'm defenseless then at least attack something worthwhile!" He laughed calmly and pointed to his now face-up trap card. "This continuous trap is a little something called Big Bang Dragon Arrival. With its effect I add a counter to it whenever a dragon on my field is destroyed." A glowing fireball appeared over the card. "Are you done?"

"Of course not! Torture Brute two and three attack Tainted Ice Dragon and Magmus!" The two other ogres flew past their retreating brother and in one punch destroyed two more of Ryu's monsters.

Rikuo- 900

Sestros- 9800

Two more fireballs appeared over the card.

Sestros waited for something to happen, and when nothing did he sneered. "Your trap is only useful to you if you're alive. You won't be when the Torture King kills your General. Now go to hell, Jourgen!" The Torture King cackled and charged forwards, its whip held up in the air to pierce into the Grand Dragon General's heart.

Ryu motioned to another face-down card. "You triggered Dragon's Gathering. This trap card will now fuse Grand Dragon General with one dragon from my deck." He removed a card from the top of his deck and then removed his General card. "Come out now….the fusion of Grand Dragon General and the mighty Typherious the Storm Dragon!" (2900/4000) His golden-armored physical avatar disappeared in an explosion of air. When it cleared a green-armored humanoid dragon with enormous wings and a heavy long-spear appeared on the field. It looked almost like an angelic dragon. "Wind Dragon Vanguard (4000/1000) is here to bring about your defeat!"

"Oh really? If you haven't noticed your monster is too weak to deal with mine." Sestros glanced over at another of the two remaining set cards. "Unless you have another Dragon's Gathering face-down, this duel is over."

Ryu held up a card that had been within his disk. "You guessed correctly…another Dragon's Gathering!" Wind Dragon Vanguard disappeared in a flash of light and when the light faded a literal dragon angel stood on the field in its place. "Shine the Light Dragon (0/0) creates Holy Wind Vanguard!" (4000/1000) "And when this monster battles against a dark creature it gains 800 attack points." (4800/1000)

"Too little too late, but nice try Jourgen." Sestros smirked. "Anything else you'd like to try?"

"Actually…yes." The dragon demon motioned to his remaining face-down card. "A final trap for my dragon warrior. Awaken now…Tyrant Wing!" The already huge wings of the Vanguard exploded with golden light and then stretched until they were nearly double in size. Powerful winds from those wings stopped the Torture King in its tracks. "This trap raises my monsters attack points by 400 and gives it the power to attack twice!"

("He…he overcame my power…") Sestros watched in horror as his Torture King impaled itself on the pike of the Vanguard and was blown apart. "I switch my Queen and Bishop into defense mode. End…turn."

Ryu- 900

Sestros- 9600

Ryu drew. "It's over Sestros…you have nothing left. You cannot draw for three more turns and you have no cards in your hand."

"It…it isn't over!" The real Torture King growled darkly. "I have my Torture Brutes. They cannot truly die!"

"Perhaps…but it doesn't matter to me." The dragon demon slid a card into his disk. "I set one card face-down on the field and attack with Holy Wind Vanguard! Go now…Winds of Battle!" The dragon warrior folded its wings in on itself and then snapped them out. The released energy barreled across the field and blew both one of the Torture Brutes and Queen apart. "End turn."

Ryu- 900

Sestros- 8200

Sestros snapped his fingers and his lost Torture Brute reappeared. "I switch all of my Brutes into defense. End turn."

Ryu drew. ("I'm running out of time. But…") He looked at the drawn card. ("It doesn't matter. Good strategy takes time.") "Winds of Battle!" Two of the Brutes exploded into dust as the powerful pounded into them. "End turn."

Sestros snapped his fingers again. "And my Brutes return. End turn."

Ryu drew one more time. ("Almost there…but still two cards off.") "Winds of Battle and end turn." The same two Brutes exploded into dust again.

Sestros chuckled and watched as his monsters reappeared on the field. "Next turn the power of my shadow magic card will be done. What will you do then?"

"I'll kill you by then." Ryu knew all too well what his deck was going to give him. "Say your last prayer. I draw and end my turn without wasting the effort of attacking."

Sestros drew. "Time's up. Ready for the results of my work?"

("The…results of his work?") Ryu didn't like the sound of that.

The Torture King slid the drawn card into his disk. "I set this face-down and end my turn."

Ryu drew. ("One more card and my strategy to win will be done.") "End turn."

Sestros made no motion to draw. "You heard him."

Ryu looked to his side and saw Rikuo stand up slowly. "Did you have a nice nap? How about you stop sleeping on the job and help me kill this bastard."

Rikuo, eyes closed, drew. "I play the Card of Demise. Now I draw five cards." He pulled five cards off of his deck and then slid four of them into his disk. "I set four cards face-down and flip up Metalmorph. This trap card will equip to Irios and raise his attack and defense by 300. Also, when he battles against the opponent's monster he will gain half of that creature's attack for the fight." The clockwork shell of the Monarch became glowing silver. (3000/2600) "Attack now my mighty monster!" The clockwork creature threw back its fist….

Ryu's smirk turned into a horrified look as Irios' fist launched from its arm and slammed into the Holy Wind Vanguard, blowing it apart.

Rikuo- 3000

Ryu- 300

Sestros- 8200

The dragon demon snapped his head to glare at Rikuo. "Have you lost your mind?"

"No…" The wolf demon walked away from his 'friend' and from Sestros until he was an equal distance from both of them. Then his field flickered and appeared in front of him. "I see the truth…and I understand fully what Sestros was talking about." His eyes opened to reveal irises that shimmered in a prismatic light. "I will destroy it all! Demons…humans…Midnight…Sestros…you…Daniel…Eri…everything! By the time I am done…there will be nothing left!" His gaze met Ryu's and the dragon demon saw a lucidity there he'd never seen in his friend before. "Prepare yourself Jourgen! This time there won't be me to save you!"

_To be continued…_

To Seeker of the Soul: Uncertainty and conflict are what I do best.

To Star AJT 84: I don't expect you to know anything about Midnight.

To Bobbomp: Like I'd kill Sestros off that quickly.

To Anime Albino: I like my greatest villain. Is that so bad?

To Hogwarts-Knight: Ummm…..what do you think I mean?

To Luna's Meow: Yep…not everything in life is black and white.

To Adriel: The kids won't be seeing much action for this part of the story. It's mostly a battle between the adults and enemies new and old.


	43. Who is Midnight?

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 43: Who is Midnight?

_Daniel took that to mean that his destruction of the Dragon Paladin had been a significant blow to his opponent's ego. "You just want to take back calling my son evil now or should we wait until after I've destroyed you?"_

"_I will not let your darkness destroy law…it cannot be allowed." Midnight's hand snapped out in an arc and a card appeared in the air next to his single one. "I activate the magic card Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Soul Absorption now, before it causes anymore problems!" A sharp wind exploded across the field and shattered Daniel's card. "Then I play the magic card Swords of Revealing Light, preventing you from attacking me for three turns." Green glowing swords of light fell from the sky and slammed down all around Daniel's field. "Finally…I reveal my face-down card." The card flipped up and a wave of fire buried the half wolf demon. "This continuous trap card is called Rage of the Widow. It will deal you life point damage each of my turns equal to the number of monsters in my graveyard times 500 points."_

_Midnight- 2900_

_Daniel- 4500_

_Daniel came up from the fire coughing out ash. "You…jerk…"_

"_Perhaps I am a jerk…but I am still fighting for the right side." Midnight would not let the world fall to chaos._

Daniel snarled angrily and brushed his jacket off. "What makes you think your side is the right one?"

"My side is the right one because it is the side that will save the world from Chaos." Midnight explained this with infinite calm. "End turn."

Daniel drew. "I play the magic card Pot of Greed! This lets me draw two cards." He slid two cards off of his deck and inserted one into his disk. "Then I set one card face-down on the field and end my turn."

A card shimmered into existence in front of Midnight. "I draw and activate the effect of Tribute Dragon." The red and green dragon shimmered into existence, only to explode into dust immediately. "Rage of the Widow requires that I sacrifice a monster each standby phase, and Tribute Dragon fits the bill. Also, I set one card face-down on the field and end my turn." His face-up trap card released another wave of fire that buried Daniel.

Midnight- 2900

Daniel- 2500

Daniel came to his feet slowly, his brown eyes starting to fade to crimson. "My turn…draw!" He removed the top card of his deck and slid it into his disk. "I activate Replay! This magic card lets me pay half of my life points to activate one magic card in my graveyard! So now I take Pot of Greed and activate it once more!" He drew twice again and opened his field magic card slot. "Then I play the field magic card Fusion Gate! While this is in play we both can fuse monsters without Polymerization!"

He slapped a card onto his disk. "Then I summon Elemental Hero-Clayman (800/2000) in defense mode!" A blocky humanoid made of clay appeared on his field in a crouching position. "I also reveal my face-down equipment magic card Clay Wrap!" A floating disk of some kind of opaque substance fell onto the hero monster and covered it from head to toe. "When this card is sent to the graveyard I may destroy one magic or trap card in play. So now I use Fusion Gate to fuse Clayman with Elemental Hero-Bubbleman!" (800/1200)

His monster disappeared in a swirl of light and was replaced by a smooth-armored hero made of a hardened mud material. "Elemental Hero-Mudballman (1900/3000) in defense mode!" The creature fell to one knee and brought its large arms up to protect itself with. "And since I sent Clay Wrap to the graveyard, now your Rage of the Widow card will be destroyed!" The trap shattered. "End turn."

Midnight waved his hand and a card appeared before him. "You're thinking that I am simply another crazy villain who thinks his cause as the right one, don't you?"

Daniel shrugged casually. "That goes without saying."

"I'll prove you wrong." Midnight's drawn card floated down and landed next to his other set one. "I set this card face-down and end my turn."

Daniel drew. "Next turn is when Swords will no longer protect you. What will you do then?"

"I have my methods of defense," Midnight sat back calmly in his throne, waiting for his opponent's next move.

Daniel grimaced and placed a card down next to his others. "I summon Elemental Hero-Sparkman (1600/1400) in attack mode!" A blue and yellow body-suited superhero appeared on his field. "End turn!" The glowing green swords faded away.

Midnight waved his hand and another card appeared. "Now I activate the effect of Tribute Dragon. Because I sacrificed it, it will now return when I wish it to." The red and green dragon appeared onto his field. "I sacrifice Tribute Dragon to summon out Dark Dragon Lord (2600/1400) in attack mode." A black-scaled humanoid dragon wearing regal robes appeared on the field. "This monster will now attack Elemental Hero-Sparkman!" It lifted its hand and released a wave of fire that slammed into Daniel's monsters and blew it apart. "Also, all monsters destroyed by Dark Dragon Lord are removed from play. End turn."

Midnight- 2900

Daniel- 250

Daniel picked up his monster off of his disk and slid it into his back pocket. "There are now eight cards in my removed from play pile. That increases my Soul Burner's attack points by 4000 total." (5000/1200) "Also, because your Swords of Revealing Light have failed…you're mine! Soul Torch Strike attack!" The woman leapt across the field, only to slam into a glowing star of red light. A few seconds passed where the only sound was a gathering of air…and then an explosion shook the room as every monster on the field was destroyed.

Midnight seemed unaffected by the noise. "You just activated my Dark Nova trap card. It triggers when my opponent declares battle against a monster on my field. By sacrificing that monster I can destroy all monsters on the field."

Daniel only heard ringing, but he had a general idea what the effect was. "I play the magic card Memories of the Lost! This will only work if I have five or more monsters in my removed from play pile! Now I place my entire removed from play pile back into my graveyard and draw two cards!" He removed the stack of cards from his back pocket and shoved it into his graveyard slot. Then his hand moved up to his deck and drew twice. "I play Monster Reborn to revive Elemental Hero-Sparkman in attack mode!" The blue and yellow superhero reappeared on the field. "Then I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Midnight waved his hand over his field and a card appeared in front of him. "I reveal my trap card." The Dark Dragon Lord reappeared on the field. "Call of the Haunted lets me revive one monster from my graveyard. Now when I destroy your Hero monster you will be completely annihilated. Goodbye mister Pilkington."

-

"Dad!" Ichigo stared in horror at the screen. "No…please tell me you still have a plan…"

Adriel and Hitokage normally would have found this entertaining, but he distinctly disliked Midnight and would have loved to see an instructor of this academy defeat him.

Griff and Krieger both gulped simultaneously.

Eri wanted to feel pleasure at the sight of Daniel Pilkington being a moment away from losing…but his heart pulsed hollowly.

-

"Dark Dragon Lord….Flaming Explosion!" The demon dragon lifted its hand and from its palm exploded a wave of fire that tore across the field towards Daniel.

"I don't know why you hate my kid, and I don't care! Reverse card open!" A glowing circle of blue light appeared and stopped the attack. "Hero Barrier requires that I have an Elemental Hero monster in play for it to work. When I do it will negate one attack!" The barrier flared in power and extinguished the flames.

Midnight hissed and waved to his hand card, which landed on his field. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Daniel drew. "I play the equipment magic card Spark Gun!" A weapon that looked a little like a small machine gun appeared in Sparkman's hand. "This card allows me to switch the modes of monsters on the field three times before it will be destroyed! So I switch Dark Dragon Lord into defense mode!" The Elemental Hero lifted the weapon and a glowing stream of light flashed out of it and struck the dragon monster, forcing it to one knee. "Sparkman…attack with Spark Slash!" Sparkman lifted his free hand and a wave of electricity exploded out of it to shatter Midnight's monster. "End turn."

Midnight waved his hand out and a card appeared. "I return Tribute Dragon to the field in defense mode and end my turn."

Daniel drew. "And then I use Spark Gun to force your dragon into attack mode!" Sparkman lifted his weapon and released another beam that struck the red and green dragon in the face. It hissed in pain and stumbled out of its crouching position. "Spark Slash!" His hero lifted its hand and released another blast of electricity that destroyed the dragon.

Midnight- 2800

Daniel- 250

Midnight chuckled calmly. "I knew you would do that. I activate my trap card Michizure. When my monster is sent to the graveyard…it will take your creature with it." A huge clawed hand exploded out of the ground and pulled Sparkman out of sight.

Daniel stood there, completely silent. Now he had no monsters to protect his life points and with only 250 of them, he was in danger of losing. ("This guy is too serious for my Elemental Heroes. His power and strategy are strong…but I can't let myself get discouraged.") He felt a warmth pulse into his wrist. ("My deck is calling for me. Here we go…") "I play the magic card Reboot! This will end my turn immediately but force us both to shuffle all of our cards together and draw five new ones!" The field shimmered and returned to a blank arena.

Midnight waved his hand in the air and six cards appeared in front of him. "That was a big mistake. You just gave me all the power I need to wipe you out."

Daniel shook his head and drew five cards. "This isn't the same deck you were just facing. Now you face…my real power!" He slid a card into his graveyard. "Even though it is your turn, I can still play this monster card effect during the turn I draw it! Clockwork Manual (200/100) lets me discard it during the turn it is drawn to special summon a level two or lower Clockwork monster from my hand to the field!" He slapped a card onto his disk and a bronze-colored little gnome appeared on his field. "I summon Clockwork Gnome (0/1000) in defense mode! Its special ability allows me to special summon the other Clockwork Gnomes in my deck to the field in defense mode as well!" Two more gnomes appeared on both sides of the first.

Midnight growled in anger and one of his cards flipped over to reveal a blue-nosed dragon with a thin tapered beak. "I summon Spear Dragon (1900/0) in attack mode and order it to attack your Gnome!" The dragon opened its mouth and released a spinning drill of wind that slammed into the Gnome and blew it apart. "That's it for your life points."

Midnight- 2800

Daniel- 350

Daniel slid the card into his graveyard and shook his head. "Clockwork Gnome gives me a 1000 life points boost when it is destroyed. Sorry."

Midnight growled even louder as his Spear Dragon folded into a crouching position. "End turn!"

Daniel drew. "I play the magic card Terraforming! This card lets me search my deck for one field magic card!" He pulled his deck out of its slot and removed a card from it. "The card I choose is Clock Tower!" His field magic card slot on his disk opened and he inserted the card into it. All around them numerous different gears appeared and everything took on the appearance of being inside a huge clock tower. "While we are in here time will play an important part in this duel…and all Clockwork monsters on my field gain 200 attack points." He licked his lips at the satisfying noise of well-oiled machinery at work. "I love listening to this, don't you?"

Midnight didn't sound amused.

Daniel shrugged and slapped a card onto his disk. "Now I summon Clockwork Alarm (2000/0) in attack mode!" A pile of misused gears in the corner of the room shifted as a ten foot tall monstrosity stomped out from within them. It had a body shaped roughly like an old cuckoo clock, and while one arm was fairly human the other was shaped like a clock pendulum. Up on the doors of the Cuckoo clock where there would have been a little bird there was instead a scowling porcelain face with red eyes. "And since he is Clockwork, he gains attack points!" (2200/0) His hand lifted to point at the Spear Dragon. "Attack!" The patchwork monster stomped across the field at an excruciatingly slow pace. When it reached the defense dragon its scowling fake face shuddered and somehow scowled deeper. With its only real hand it grabbed the dragon around the neck and started squeezing.

Midnight barely flinched at the pop noise he heard a few seconds later.

Daniel watched his Alarm return to his field. It made a strange hissing noise and the red light left its eyes. "When my monster attacks it switches to defense mode right after. End turn."

Midnight waved his hand across his field and a card appeared in front of him. "I summon Twin-Headed Striker (1300/1200) in attack mode." A two-headed dragon appeared on the field and roared, releasing a pair of red beams of light that blew the Alarm and a Gnome apart. "This monster may attack twice. Also, I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Midnight- 2800

Daniel- 1350

Daniel drew. "I knew you would destroy Alarm, but I didn't plan on losing a Gnome too. Oh well, change of plans." He slid his last Gnome into his graveyard. "I sacrifice my final Clockwork Gnome to summon Clockwork Elder (1900/1700) in attack mode!" A white-robed humanoid appeared on the field. It had all kinds of metal gears sticking out of it and its arms moved in circles in the air, as if it was a machine itself. "This guy is one of my favorites because he always keeps the Clock Tower in working order. Since your prescense is a danger to this place, he's going to have to evict you, Midnight!" (2100/1700)

"You sacrificed your Gnome to summon that piece of junk? How pathetic." Midnight scoffed calmly. "Are you sure this is your real power?"

Daniel snickered and thumbed behind him. "Take a look at what is behind me before you start talking crap."

Midnight's head lifted slightly. What was behind Daniel was the apparent 'face' of the Clock Tower. "Why is there only one hand?"

"Because this is a special kind of clock," the half wolf-demon pointed to the hand, which in turn was pointing at the four. "For every turn that passes a turn counter is placed onto my Clock Tower. And when Clockwork Elder is summoned to the field, he takes the level of the monster sacrificed for his summon and adds one to it. Then he speeds up the turn count by that number. When the turn counters reach twelve something good will happen…but you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?" Daniel pointed at the Twin-Headed Striker. "Ancient Gear Strike!" The Elder's eyes, which were orange dots within its hood, released a pair of orange beams that blew the dragon apart. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Midnight- 2000

Daniel- 1350

Midnight waved his hand and a card appeared in front of him. "You are quite good suddenly…but not good enough." One of his cards flipped over and a towering dragon appeared on the field. "This is my Titan Dragon (2500/2000) and he can be summoned if you have two more cards on the field than I do. Now then…attack!" The dragon opened its jaws and a burst of fire hurtled across the field towards Daniel's monster.

_To be continued…_

To Seeker of the Soul: You're right…I am evil like that.

To whitewolf7187: That's what makes Sestros so evil. He just won't stay dead.

To Anime Albino: I like all of my characters, or else I wouldn't use them.

To a neo okami named Wolfy: I am not ignoring your e-mails or reviews. I only got one e-mail from you (which I replied to) and as for your reviews I didn't answer them because there were no questions/there wasn't any comment about them in my mind.

To Hogwarts-Knight-………….little creep? Come on now...

To Adriel: We'll see in the next chapter, won't we?


	44. Judgment for all

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 44: Judgment for all

_Rikuo, eyes closed, drew. "I play the Card of Demise. Now I draw five cards." He pulled five cards off of his deck and then slid four of them into his disk. "I set four cards face-down and flip up Metalmorph. This trap card will equip to Irios and raise his attack and defense by 300. Also, when he battles against the opponent's monster he will gain half of that creature's attack for the fight." The clockwork shell of the Monarch became glowing silver. (3000/2600) "Attack now my mighty monster!" The clockwork creature threw back its fist…._

_Ryu's smirk turned into a horrified look as Irios' fist launched from its arm and slammed into the Holy Wind Vanguard, blowing it apart._

_Rikuo- 3000_

_Ryu- 300_

_Sestros- 8200_

_The dragon demon snapped his head to glare at Rikuo. "Have you lost your mind?"_

"_No…" The wolf demon walked away from his 'friend' and from Sestros until he was an equal distance from both of them. Then his field flickered and appeared in front of him. "I see the truth…and I understand fully what Sestros was talking about." His eyes opened to reveal irises that shimmered in a prismatic light. "I will destroy it all! Demons…humans…Midnight…Sestros…you…Daniel…Eri…everything! By the time I am done…there will be nothing left!" His gaze met Ryu's and the dragon demon saw a lucidity there he'd never seen in his friend before. "Prepare yourself Jourgen! This time there won't be me to save you!"_

Rikuo glanced over at Sestros coldly. "End turn."

The Torture King was surprised slightly, but not much. ("Midnight had said that the shadow magic card didn't promise anything. Since the mutt has lost his mind, I suppose I should be happy.") "I set one card face-down on the field and declare an attack on the Mutt's monster with my Torture Brute!" The ogre roared and launched across the field to slam its fist through Irios' face and blow the Monarch apart.

Rikuo- 2200

Ryu- 300

Sestros- 8200

Rikuo's prismatic eyes shimmered calmly in the once again dark room. "I activate my trap card Prodigy Arrival. This will let me special summon a monster from my deck that has have of the rounded up level stars of the destroyed monster. The only stipulation is that both monsters must share the same type!" He removed a pair of cards from his deck. "Then I special summon White Cyber-Wolf (1000/1800) in defense mode." A white machine resembling a wolf in thick plated armor appeared on the field. "And when it is summoned I may special summon Black Cyber-Wolf (1800/1000) from my deck to the field in attack mode." Next to it a black machine that resembled a wolf in spiked armor appeared on the field and snarled at the Torture Brutes.

Sestros chuckled and pointed at the Black Cyber-Wolf. "Just more lambs for the slaughter! Go Torture Brute!" The next ogre leapt…

Rikuo didn't say a word or make a move. His face-down card flipped up and a suit of demonic steel armor appeared and floated across the field next to the third Torture Brute. The second one stopped and turned in mid-step to flying tackle its brother. Both exploded into dust a few seconds later.

Sestros hissed in anger and looked over at Ryu. "End turn."

Ryu glanced over at Rikuo, who had his eyes closed again and seemed to be locked into a deep trance. ("This has to be some kind of mind control. Rikuo isn't one to be so angry…is he?") The dragon demon drew and snapped the card around. "I play the magic card Wings of Bahamut! This card will revive one fused dragon monster in my graveyard and split it back into its original parts!" Holy Wind Vanguard reappeared on the field and exploded into shard of light that transformed into Typherious, Dragon Demon Lord, and Shine. Each of the three dragon monsters folded themselves down into defense positions. "The effect of Typherious activates now! All magic and trap cards on the field will be destroyed!"

"That's what you wish would happen." Rikuo discarded the single card that rested in between his fingers. "But life never is what we want it to be. I reveal my Divine Wrath trap card. This will negate the activation of your monster's effect and destroy it." Typherious let out a confused growl as the tornadoes around its body dissipated. That cry turned to one of pain as a lightning bolt fell from the sky and blew it apart.

Ryu frowned and slid the three remaining cards in his hand into his disk. "I set three cards face-down on the field and end my turn."

Rikuo drew, his face still calm. That illusion slowly shattered as his lips curled up enough to reveal his fangs. "Our entire existence is based off of a load of crap that no one really believes anymore. I see that now…and will cleanse the world using the power I have been given." His face-down card flipped up. "The magic card Chaos Fortress Descent requires that I sacrifice my battle phase to even try to activate it. Then I need to sacrifice a light attribute monster and a dark attribute monster from my field." He removed his two monster cards from his disk and slid them into his graveyard slot. "That should be sufficient enough." Thunder shook the room. "Descend now…Armageddon Fortress!" A huge black-colored steel spaceship shimmered into existence right above all three of their heads. It had so many weapons across its body that there wasn't even a point to counting them all. "I set one card face-down and end my turn." (3500/3000)

Sestros drew. "That's a pretty big piece of junk you just summoned, Mutt. Unfortunately for you nothing scares me. Torture Brute will attack your washed up piece of metal!" (3800/1400) The ogre roared and punched the floor, shattering a mirror. It grabbed a nice chunk of black glass and threw it with the force of a bullet at the fortress. When it hit the steel shell though, it did nothing but scratch the paint job. "What?"

Rikuo- 1900

Ryu- 300

Sestros- 8200

Rikuo chuckled and met Sestros' blood-red eyes with his prismatic ones. "Armageddon Fortress cannot be destroyed as a result of battle. You wasted your attack."

"Oh I did huh?" The Torture King's other two ogres grabbed pieces of glass and hurled them at the fortress. "Take this!"

Rikuo- 1300

Ryu- 300

Sestros- 8200

Rikuo felt a single piece of the glass fall into his hair. "Wow…that was so stupid I forgot to laugh. End your turn already, Torture King."

Sestros growled and shook his disk with the force of him inserting his single hand card into it. "I set one card face-down on the field and end my turn."

Ryu drew. "I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn." He wiped a single bead of sweat away from his forehead. If Rikuo smelt his fear then the wolf demon would most likely attack him immediately.

Rikuo drew. "This is it…the beginning of hell for both of you. I reveal my face-down trap card Draining Demise. This continuous trap card force both of you to discard cards from your deck equal to the level stars of any monsters I destroy. Now though…I discard one card from my hand to activate the effect of Armageddon Fortress!" All of the weapons on the fortress redirected themselves to aim at every creature on the field. "By discarding one card from my hand Armageddon Fortress can attack every monster on your field." Then all hell broke loose as energy streamed from hundred of different points of the fortress to slam into both Ryu's and Sestros' monsters.

The dragon demon threw up his arms as all of his creatures exploded into dust.

Sestros chuckled at the incoming wave of destruction calmly. "My monsters are all stronger than yours."

Rikuo's last card flipped up. "My trap card says otherwise. It's a little something called Laser Focusing System. It equips to a machine monster on my field and raises its attack points by 300. Also, it makes it impossible for either of you to activate traps during my turn."

The three Torture Brutes roared in rage as they were blown apart all at once. Then the Torture Bishop let out a pained screech and exploded as well.

Ryu caught a card that was spat out of his deck and slapped it onto his disk. "You just attacked Child of the Grand (1000/1000) and when it is destroyed in battle I may special summon the Grand Emperor Dragon (2000/2500) to my field! I call it out in defense mode!" The golden form of the dragon demon's greatest monster appeared on the field.

Rikuo shook his head sadly. "Fire." The Armageddon Fortress let loose another barrage that blew the dragon apart. "Because of that stupid mistake Jourgen, you must now discard a total of eighteen cards off of your deck. And as for you Sestros…you have to get rid of a nice fifteen."

Both demons blanched and did so, leaving them with almost no deck to work with.

Rikuo glanced over at Sestros. "Your turn."

The Torture King drew and his three Brutes reappeared. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Ryu stood silently, his emotions warring deep within his heart. "Rikuo…why are you doing this?"

"Why? Because I saw exactly what this world is…and it disgusts me. Our entire existence is held together on greed. That is what everything is about…and I can't stand it any more!"

"Greed?" Ryu growled, the mirrors around him shuddering. "Greed? Are you telling me that this whole 'end it all' act is over greed?"

"Yes."

Ryu's growling stopped abruptly…and he started to laugh. He laughed long and hard, nearly falling over because of it.

Sestros narrowed his eyes quietly, preferring to see what this was all about before asking.

Rikuo snarled darkly. "What's so funny?"

"You are!" The dragon demon wiped some tears from his eyes. "You're one of the silliest people I have ever met."

"Silly?" Rikuo's prismatic eyes faded slightly and for a few moments turned red. "You…would…"

Ryu held up his portable duel disk. "Let me show you my true power. A power you don't even comprehend fully!" His hand motioned to his Big Bang Dragon's Arrival trap, which now had nine glowing counters over it. "The time is now…awaken!" The card exploded and from within it emerged a fire-covered form that looked a little like a dragon. "This trap card, when sacrificed, removes the limit on my monster number for this turn. Also, for every counter on this card I may revive one dragon from my graveyard!" He removed nine cards from his graveyard and started placing them into and onto his disk. "Grand Emperor Dragon, (2000/2500) Typherious the Storm Dragon, (2900/4000) Shine the Light Dragon, (0/0) Smoke the Shade Dragon, (0/0) Infernus the Pyro Dragon, (2200/2000) Crystallis the Ice Dragon, (2200/2000) Gaius the Earth Dragon, (500/2200) Dragon Demon Lord, (2400/1000) and finally Child of the Grand!" (1000/1000) With an assorted number of noises his elemental dragons, his physical avatar, and his greatest monster in both of its life stages appeared on his field.

Rikuo looked all of the dragons over and snorted. "I think you don't fully comprehend that numbers don't matter to me. I have the power to crush them all right above me."

"Do you? Then try beating this!" Ryu opened his field magic card slot and shoved a card into it. "Activate Fusion Gate! While this card is in play I can fuse monsters without Polymerization!" His six elemental dragons and the Grand Emperor Dragon starting glowing silver. "Awaken now...the mightiest monster of all. Your servant wishes for you to come!" Each of the seven creatures turned into a ball of light that launched into the air and disappeared. "It's show time." A roar shook the room and shattered all of the mirrors, bringing down a rain of black glass onto the heads of the three duelists. "I summon Bahamut-King of Dragons; Lord of Judgment (Instant Win) in attack mode! Arise my god and hear my call!" Light flooded the arena as a mountain-like form appeared on the field, its entire body hidden by the shadows caused from the light. Though it wasn't moving, all three demons could feel that it was quite alive at the moment.

Rikuo stumbled backwards in sudden fear. Even his Armageddon Fortress was like a toy to that thing. ("………I must fight it….I must beat it.") He slowly came to his feet and returned to his field. "Is that the best you can produce? That thing is pitiful!"

The light stopped and the mountain moved, bringing glowing silver eyes the size of airplanes over to look at the speck that had insulted it. Letting out a deep growl the cracked the stone of the room, Bahamut's jaws opened slowly…

Ryu's eyes widened. "Bahamut….I implore you…don't destroy him. Please, this humble servant begs you…"

Rikuo sneered up at the creature that could with minimal effort destroy him. "What's the matter Iguana?"

Bahamut's jaws became lit up by a blue-white light as energy gathered slowly.

Sestros stayed as silent as possible. Though he had defeated Bahamut before…this time he wasn't so sure how that had been possible.

Ryu felt Bahamut's judgment…and for the first time in his life he didn't agree. "No…I cannot pass death upon my friend."

The dragon god froze and then slowly looked down at the one who had called it.

"I had called you here so that you could show Rikuo the truth about our world. That it isn't a dark place where nothing but greed exists. Please…don't annihilate him."

Bahamut growled angrily and charged up a ball of blue-white light. It wasn't interested.

Rikuo threw back his head and laughed. "Prepare to die Bahamut!"

Sestros, Ryu and Bahamut all froze when they heard that.

Rikuo caught a card that shot out of his graveyard. "I activate the magic card Sacrifice to the Night. This card activates from my graveyard when a Divine attribute monster tries to attack me. It lets me special summon one Divine-Beast monster from my deck to the field."

("Divine…oh no…") Ryu turned pale white.

Rikuo slid the top card off of his disk and slapped it down. "Awaken…Fenrir-Destroyer of Gods!" (4000/4000) A glowing ball of black fire appeared on his field. A howl shook the entire room and the ball dissipated to reveal a building-sized black wolf. "And when Fenrir is summoned to the field, one Divine monster is destroyed and its stats are added to my god's power." Opening its jaws, Fenrir released a wave of black fire that covered Bahamut like a curtain. "Die." The King of Dragons roared in pain and faded away. (Instant Win)

Ryu stood there, eyes wide. "I…don't believe it…."

"Believe it," Rikuo slowly looked over at Sestros. "And don't think that I've forgotten about you either, old man. By the time I am done Fenrir will consume you both for desert."

Ryu looked at his field and his set cards. "I…end my turn."

Rikuo drew without even looking at the dragon demon. "Not much else you can do, is there? Now I'll make you pay for challenging me…Fenrir." The wolf god howled and lowered its muzzle to aim at Ryu. "Good-bye Jourgen. Black Inferno's Roar!"

_To be continued…_

To Seeker of the Soul: You know, eh? Good….I'm glad someone does. And the cuteness compels you!

To Adriel-……………….Deletes review 400

To Hogwarts-Knight: And you get a gold star for cheering for Daniel.

To Bobbomp: I don't respond to things that I have no comment on. You should know that by now.

To Anime Albino: And you get a gold star for playing a dragon deck.


	45. For whom the bell tolls

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 45: For whom the bell tolls

_Midnight's head lifted slightly. What was behind Daniel was the apparent 'face' of the Clock Tower. "Why is there only one hand?"_

"_Because this is a special kind of clock," the half wolf-demon pointed to the hand, which in turn was pointing at the four. "For every turn that passes a turn counter is placed onto my Clock Tower. And when Clockwork Elder is summoned to the field, he takes the level of the monster sacrificed for his summon and adds one to it. Then he speeds up the turn count by that number. When the turn counters reach twelve something good will happen…but you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?" Daniel pointed at the Twin-Headed Striker. "Ancient Gear Strike!" The Elder's eyes, which were orange dots within its hood, released a pair of orange beams that blew the dragon apart. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."_

_Midnight- 2000_

_Daniel- 1350_

_Midnight waved his hand and a card appeared in front of him. "You are quite good suddenly…but not good enough." One of his cards flipped over and a towering dragon appeared on the field. "This is my Titan Dragon (2500/2000) and he can be summoned if you have two more cards on the field than I do. Now then…attack!" The dragon opened its jaws and a burst of fire hurtled across the field towards Daniel's monster._

Daniel rolled his eyes and his face-down card flipped up. "I activate my quickplay magic card! Go Limiter Removal! This little number doubles the attack strength of all machine monsters on my field. So your monster is about to kill itself!" The Elder made a peculiar whining noise and started running in small circles around the room, dodging the bursts of fire that were continuously launched its way. Finally, it got within attack range of the Titan Dragon and slapped it in the face, blowing it apart. (4200/1700)

Midnight- 300

Daniel- 1350

Midnight frowned and one of his hand cards flipped over. "I activate the magic card Reverse Damage. This returns my life points to normal if I more than 1000 due to battle damage." A green light shimmered around, though somehow it didn't penetrate the darkness that kept him from being seen. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Midnight- 2000

Daniel- 1350

Daniel drew. "So you run healing too?" The clock hand turned to five. "I summon Clockwork Magician (500/400) in attack mode." A clockwork robot in magician's robes appeared on the field. "This monster's ability lets me draw one card from my deck when it is summoned." He slid a card off of his deck and smirked. "Good, a monster I like." The card was tossed down next to the Clockwork Magician on the disk. "Clockwork Runner (500/500) can be special summoned immediately when added to my hand. Thanks to its effect I also get to draw one card." A little wind-up monster that looked like a mouse appeared on the field. "And then I attack your life points directly with both Runner and Magician!" Both creatures charged forwards…

Midnight's second card flipped up. "I activate Fire Swirl of Demise! This trap card creates a barrier that stops your monster from attacking and lets me draw a card for each creature you have in play." Two more cards appeared next to his other two.

Daniel grimaced and pointed at the Clockwork Runner. "Clockwork Magician's special ability activates now! By sacrificing one machine monster on my field I can draw one card!" The little mouse machine squeaked and fell apart. "I draw." The half wolf-demon slid a card off of his deck and threw it onto his disk. "Activate the effect of another Clockwork Runner." He drew as another metal mouse appeared. "And then I sacrifice this little guy to draw a card." The mouse exploded into shards of metal and he drew; now having four cards in hand. "Finally I set two cards face-down on the field and end my turn."

Midnight waved his hand through the air and a card appeared. "I reveal my face-down trap card Call of the Haunted!" The ground exploded up and his Titan Dragon appeared again. "And then I sacrifice this monster to summon a machine of my own!" A metal covered dragon with red eyes appeared on his field. "Psycho Shocker Dragon (2400/1500) in attack mode. This monster cannot be affected by trap cards! So now I wipe you out!" His monster opened its jaws…

Daniel motioned to one of his set cards. "Reverse card open!"

"It won't work!" The dragon released a wave of flame that consumed the Clockwork Magician. "And you lose!"

Midnight- 2000

Daniel- 0

-

Ichigo fell to her knees, eyes wide. "He…lost…"

The other members of the Duelist Academy all stared at the screen incredulously.

Then Hitokage burst into laughter.

Everyone turned to stare at him…

"Look at his life point total." The blond-haired duelist smirked and put his back against the wall of the theater. "This isn't over yet."

-

Midnight- 2000

Daniel- 1350

"What?" Midnight leaned forward in his throne to make sure he was seeing this right. "How…are you still alive?"

Daniel smirked and thumbed over at a mechanical robot that was hovering next to him. It had numerous mirrors all over it and it was wearing a wizard's hat. Reflected in all of the mirrors was the Reverse Damage magic card. "My Mechanical Magic Mirror takes one magic card from your graveyard and lets me activate as my own. So I used your Reverse Damage effect to save my life points."

"So you managed to preserve your life points for this turn? Weakling…" Midnight tried to ignore the growls in his throat.

Daniel tapped a button on his disk and his other card flipped up. "I also activate my Time Machine trap card! This will return one of my monsters that was destroyed as a result of battle back to the field in attack mode!" A thick steel box appeared on his field and opened to reveal the Clockwork Magician. "And since my monster was summoned, its effect lets me draw one card." He slid a card off of his disk and added it to his hand.

Midnight growled and two cards landed behind his dragon. "I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

Daniel drew and the hand on the Clock Tower face moved to six. "Here we go…" He snapped one of his hand cards around and his graveyard spat out two cards. "Go Junk Dealer! This magic card will revive two machine monsters from my graveyard to the field in attack mode, but they will have half attack power." The two Clockwork Runners reappeared on his field. (250/500) "And since these little guys are back, I draw two cards!" The half wolf-demon drew twice and his eyes widened at a couple of the cards. ("Talk about lucky…")

Midnight, under the shroud of shadow, frowned at the look on his opponent's face. ("What did he draw?")

Daniel smiled and motioned to one of his Runners, which disappeared. "I sacrifice one of my Runners to summon this!" A green-armored humanoid appeared on the field and chuckled coldly. "As you should know, Jinzo (2400/1500) has the power to negate all trap cards on the field as long as he is in play. Unless of course though…" He inserted a card into his disk and a metal cap appeared on top of Jinzo's head. "…I play the equipment magic card Amplifier on him. This allows me to activate my traps, though you can't activate yours."

"Now though, I'll be sacrificing both Clockwork Magician and Clockwork Runner to the ability of my Magician." Both metal monsters disappeared and Daniel drew twice. "Then I play Replay!"

"Replay? The magic card you used to activate Pot of Greed again?" Midnight snorted calmly. "What magic card can you activate now?"

Midnight- 2000

Daniel- 675

Daniel discarded the magic card and took a different card from his graveyard. "The card I'm activating again….is Junk Dealer!" His Clockwork Magician and one of his Clockwork Runners reappeared. "Both of their effects let me draw a card!" Now he had six cards in hand. "Then I sacrifice both of them to my Magician's effect to draw two more cards." And now he had eight cards in his hand. "Finally, I set three cards face-down on the field and end my turn."

Midnight's left card flipped up and a sharp wind exploded across the field to blow the Amplifier right off of Jinzo's head. "My Mystical Space Typhoon card destroys your Amplifier and because of that card's effect Jinzo goes to the graveyard." The metal monster groaned in pain and exploded into dust.

Daniel growled deep in his throat, feeling rage in his heart now. ("No one destroys Jinzo and gets away with it.")

Midnight's hand increased to three cards. "I set one card face-down on the field and play another Mystical Space Typhoon card, destroying your Clock Tower!" A sharp wind ripped across the field towards the Clock Tower face. "And I'll also reveal my Serial Spell quickplay magic card. When this card is activated I can discard my hand to repeat the effect of a magic card that I just played. So I discard my single hand card to activate Mystical Space Typhoon on your center set card." A second spinning wind flew down and shattered Daniel's middle card. "And now your Clock Tower is finished!"

Daniel discarded a card from his hand and the wind blast dissipated. "Wrong! By discarding the magic card Trial of Time I can negate any effect that would destroy Clock Tower!"

Midnight growled in anger and pointed at Daniel. "Psycho Shocker Dragon, attack his life points directly!" The dragon roared and opened its jaws…

Daniel motioned to his set card. "I activate the trap card Tick Tock!"

"Tick Tock?" Midnight tilted his head to the side slightly. "What kind of name is that?"

"It's the name of my trap monster! Go Tick and go Tock!" (0/1400) (1400/0) A white clockwork robot and a black clockwork robot appeared on the field. "Now I activate Tick's special ability! He can negate an opponent's attack once per game!" The white robot ran over to a stack of gears, grabbed a big one shaped like a shield, and then charged back over to block the fire blast.

Midnight hissed in annoyance. "End turn."

Daniel drew. "Here we go…it's game time!" The Clock Tower face showed seven. "I use the effect of Tick and Tock to fuse them together!" The two robots broke apart and formed into a single black and white clockwork robot. "Tick Tock (1400/1400) comes to the field in defense mode!" It fell to one knee and waited patiently for further orders.

The half wolf-demon had other plans though. "Now I play Green Gadget (1400/600) in attack mode!" A green robot with a white metal gear on its back appeared on the field. "When this monster is summoned I may add a Red Gadget (1300/1500) from my deck to my hand." He removed the card from his deck and inserted it into his hand. "That isn't all though. I use the effect of Tick Tock now!" The black and white robot exploded. "When he is destroyed I take one machine monster from my hand and play it onto the field! Go Red Gadget!" A red robot with a white gear on its back appeared on the field. "And when this guy is summoned I may take one Yellow Gadget (1200/1200) from my deck and add it to my hand."

"Is there a purpose to this?" Midnight was getting irritated by seeing so many weak monsters.

"There always is!" Daniel slid a card into his set. "Go Complete the Set! This lets me special summon the final part of any combo of monsters from my hand or deck to the field!" He removed the Yellow Gadget card from his hand and threw it onto his disk. "Go Yellow Gadget!" A yellow robot with a white gear on its back appeared on the field. "And then I reveal my face-down trap card Mobile Fortress Stronghold!" An enormous white robot appeared on the field behind both Daniel and the three Gadgets. "This guy has a power when these three are on the field. Normally he's nothing but a 2000 defender, but when Green, Red and Yellow Gadget are in play he becomes a 3000 attacker!" (3000/2000) The three Gadgets flew through the air and attached to areas on the fortress' body where gears were missing. It let out a steam-powered roar and leapt forward, punching the head off of the Psycho Shocker Dragon.

Midnight- 1400

Daniel- 675

Midnight's face-down card flipped up. "Reveal Dragon Reclamation! This trap returns one destroyed dragon to the field!" The Psycho Shocker Dragon reappeared on the field and roared at the three Gadgets that had been just about to attack.

Daniel grimaced as his assured victory disappeared. "I set three cards face-down and end my turn."

Midnight waved his hand and a card appeared before him. "I activate the Card of Sanctity!" Six cards appeared in front of him.

Daniel tapped a button on his disk and drew six cards.

Midnight motioned to one of his hand cards. "I summon another Titan Dragon (2500/2000) in attack mode!" Another of the giant dragons appeared on his field and roared at the now cowering Gadgets. "Your little gears are about to die…and there is nothing you can do about it! My Psycho Shocker Dragon is immune to traps!" The metal dragon opened its mouth and released a wave of fire at the Yellow Gadget. "Good-bye mister Pilkington."

Daniel snapped his fingers and one of his cards flipped up. "Reveal Corrosion of Earth! This continuous trap remains on the field until I choose to sacrifice it. And I will be in a moment! Go Time Jump!" Another of his cards flipped up and revealed a quickplay magic card. "This will speed up the turn count by three turns!" Everything blurred as time sped up. "And now I will buffer your attack!"

"What are you babbling about?" Midnight couldn't see how warping time could change the fact that his opponent was about to get blasted.

Daniel pointed at Corrosion of Earth, which dissolved into nothingness. "I sacrifice this card to activate its effect now. Since it has been on the field for three turns now, it will permanently reduce the attack of all monsters on your field by 500 times the number of turns it's been face-up!"

"Weren't you listening? Psycho Shocker Dragon is immune to trap effects!" Midnight couldn't believe his opponent was so stupid.

Daniel chuckled and motioned to the field around the feet of the two dragons. It turned into a thick material like mud and sucked them down to their knees into it. "Get it? My trap doesn't affect your monsters, but the field they stand on. It might be a technicality, but it works."

Psycho Shocker Dragon (900/1500)

Titan Dragon (1000/2000)

Midnight sucked his breath in through his teeth. "No! I activate the quickplay magic card Rush Recklessly! This will raise my monster's attack power by 700 points!" (1600/1500) The fireball slammed into the Yellow Gadget and blew it apart.

Midnight- 1400

Daniel- 275

Midnight went silent…and then laughed. "It's over! Without your three Gadgets, all your Mobile Fortress is…is trash." (0/2000)

Daniel's eyes widened slightly. "…….."

"Your deck isn't as impressive as I thought. What were you thinking? Time Control is useless here! Titan Dragon, release your flames and destroy the Mobile Fortress Stronghold now!" The dragon charged up a fireball within its jaws and released it at the unmoving robot.

-

Everyone in the theater had their breath held…was this it?

-

Daniel snapped his fingers and his Mobile Fortress exploded into dust. The fireball flew over his head and slammed into the back wall with a boom. "Time Control is a bad deck type? That's where you're wrong…because you don't know any better. Let me be your teacher in this matter."

Midnight hissed in pure, undulated anger. "Where the hell did your machine go?"

"It went to the graveyard, along with this!" Daniel held up his trap monster card and another card…another trap. "I activated Summon Watch when you played Card of Sanctity. This trap requires that I can only activate it when you play a magic or trap card. Every turn it gets a turn counter. When I wish I can sacrifice this card and one monster from my field to special summon monsters from my hand equal to the number of turn counters on this card. Since Time Jump activated…it's been three turns." He slid the two traps into his graveyard. "Get ready…because your ass is mine!"

("Three…summons?") Midnight felt sweat bead on his forehead.

Daniel slapped a card onto his disk. "First I summon Clockwork Priest (1500/1300) in attack mode!" A clockwork robot in priestly robes appeared on the field. "When this guy is summoned I may special summon one Clockwork Gear Token (500/500) to my field!" A little metal gear with wings appeared on the field next to the Priest.

Another card hit the field next the Priest and Token. "My second summon is the power of Clockwork Dragon (2500/0) in attack mode!" A huge metal dragon with tank treads instead of legs appeared on the field. "This guy requires a machine sacrifice when summoned, so I give up my Clockwork Gear Token!" The little gear squeaked as the metal monster swallowed it whole.

A final card fell on the now empty space. "Go Clockwork Knight!" (1600/1000) A clockwork robot in knight's armor appeared on the field. "This guy raises the attack of all Clockwork monsters on my field by 200 points, meaning that in combination with Clock Tower all my Clockworks get 400 extra attack points!" Daniel winked to Midnight as his army was finally assembled.

Clockwork Priest (1900/1300)

Clockwork Dragon (2900/0)

Clockwork Knight (2000/1000)

Midnight motioned to his entire remaining hand, which shimmered onto his field face-down. "I set four cards face-down and end my turn."

Daniel drew. "That's what I thought. You underestimated my monsters…and now you'll pay for it! Clockwork Dragon, attack Titan Dragon now!" The metal dragon roared and rolled across the field for the kill.

Midnight chuckled and one of his set cards flipped up. "Idiot. Do you remember what Dark Nova does? I sacrifice my Titan Dragon to destroy everything!" An explosion rocked the Clock Tower as all monsters in play were destroyed. "You are the one who made a mistake. Now you will pay for it with your life."

Daniel closed his eyes slowly and slid his four remaining cards into his disk. "I set these and end my turn."

A card appeared in front of Midnight. "It's all over for you. Die!" Psycho Shocker Dragon charged up a ball of fire within its jaws and released it right at the half wolf-demon. "Pay for your arrogance with death!"

"What arrogance?" Daniel's eyes opened slowly. "This duel will end on your current turn, it is fact. Reverse card open." One of his face-down cards flipped up. "Pyro Clock of Destiny speeds up the turn count by one."

"Time manipulation won't save you this time! My dragon will crush you!" Midnight saw his victory…and knew that fate was with him.

Until something snapped him out of his revelry…the sound of a bell. In fact, it was the sound of many bells.

Daniel closed his eyes again. "The clock struck twelve." He pointed behind him, where the Clock Tower hand showed twelve. "Guess what? I just won."

Midnight didn't feel the game telling him so. "Your Clock Tower doesn't give you an instant win when it hits twelve…so what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about this tower." The half wolf-demon's hands swept out to indicate everything around them. "Can you hear it? Can you hear him?"

"Him?" Midnight couldn't hear anything other than the echoing noise of those damned bells.

A single form wrapped in black cloth slowly lowered from the upper levels of the Clock Tower to the field. It was making a soft humming noise.

Daniel pointed at the form. "That is who I was talking about. Prepare yourself Midnight…it's over!" The cloth fell away to reveal a complex-looking robot with a golden scythe in each hand. "When twelve counters are on my Clock Tower, I may remove them to special summon one of the three Clockwork Gods at random from my deck." There was a click noise and the helmet of the god fell away to reveal a steel skull. "Clockwork God-Reaper is the chosen executioner!" (3500/2000)

"It's my turn…and I can withdraw my attack." The Psycho Shocker Dragon closed its jaws and cut off the flame stream. "Foolish demon…you cannot win that easily."

"I said this duel was over and I meant it!" Daniel pointed at Reaper. "Reaper's ability activates when it is summoned to the field! Go Gear Harvest!" The Reaper began to cackle. Each of its hands started to spin rapidly, turning its two scythes into something like lawn mower blades. "He's going to destroy all monsters on your field and deal you life point damage equal to those creatures' attack points."

Midnight motioned to his set cards. "What if these are traps?"

"It doesn't matter! Go Reaper!" The mechanical god cackled louder and from its deadly swirls emerged two glowing arcs of light that hurtled across the field to chop down the two dragons.

"Reveal my trap card, Dark Mystical Vortex!" A glowing portal appeared on Midnight's field. "Now your monster will be destroyed and you'll lose its attack points in life."

Daniel shook his head. "I hope you're learning, because there are a lot of holes in your defenses." His face-down card flipped up. "Go Magnetic Recovery! This quickplay magic card will revive one machine monster from my graveyard to the field in defense mode!" There was a flash of light and the vortex faded out of existence. "Come back…Jinzo!" His favorite monster appeared on the field in a crouching position. "And with him on the field your trap card fails. I win."

The arcs slashed through the dragons and they fell into bloody pieces on the ground.

Midnight- 0

Daniel- 275

_To be continued…_

To Seeker of the Soul: Yep…Rikuo's not lost his touch when it comes to killing gods.

To Adriel: I had to kill Bahamut off the bat. He wasn't going to just stand there and wait for permission to annihilate Rikuo.

To Bobbomp: We shall see.

To Anime Albino: Damn….that was supposed to be my chocolate star.

To Kitsune Duelist: He doesn't die easily. That nuke might not do it.

To Hogwarts-Knight: You going to explode? It would be funny if you did explode because of me.


	46. The power of time

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 46: The power of Time

"_I said this duel was over and I meant it!" Daniel pointed at Reaper. "Reaper's ability activates when it is summoned to the field! Go Gear Harvest!" The Reaper began to cackle. Each of its hands started to spin rapidly, turning its two scythes into something like lawn mower blades. "He's going to destroy all monsters on your field and deal you life point damage equal to those creatures' attack points."_

_Midnight motioned to his set cards. "What if these are traps?"_

"_It doesn't matter! Go Reaper!" The mechanical god cackled louder and from its deadly swirls emerged two glowing arcs of light that hurtled across the field to chop down the two dragons._

"_Reveal my trap card, Dark Mystical Vortex!" A glowing portal appeared on Midnight's field. "Now your monster will be destroyed and you'll lose its attack points in life."_

_Daniel shook his head. "I hope you're learning, because there are a lot of holes in your defenses." His face-down card flipped up. "Go Magnetic Recovery! This quickplay magic card will revive one machine monster from my graveyard to the field in defense mode!" There was a flash of light and the vortex faded out of existence. "Come back…Jinzo!" His favorite monster appeared on the field in a crouching position. "And with him on the field your trap card fails. I win."_

_The arcs slashed through the dragons and they fell into bloody pieces on the ground._

_Midnight- 0_

_Daniel- 275_

Midnight hissed in anger as the field faded away to reveal the throne room. "That was a very impressive performance you just gave. Why don't you give your audience a bow?" He waved his hand and Daniel heard a loud number of thuds right behind him.

Ichigo squirmed futilely against the sudden dog-pile she was trapped under. "How did we get here?"

"I don't know and I don't care! Mohistava, get your foot out of my ribcage!" Eri snarled and bared his fangs.

"That's not my foot!"

Daniel sweat-dropped for a few seconds as he watched the students try to reorientate themselves, and then he returned his gaze to Midnight. "Now that I've defeated you, how about you explain why you called my kid evil?"

"Very well," Midnight's shadowed form sat back in his chair. "Long ago there were nine forces of primal energy on your planet. Each one represented an element that there was an abundance of. Darkness, Light, Moon, Life, Water, Earth, Fire and Air were eight of them."

Daniel already had a general idea what Midnight was getting at. "These primal forces are located in the Seal Cards?"

"Correct." Midnight cleared his throat. "However, as I said, there were nine forces."

"What was the ninth?"

"Chaos," The shadowed man spoke the word like a curse. "Unlike the first eight, this one wasn't sealed away in the same way. Because of its faulty sealing it has gained immeasurable power when compared to most forces in both my world and yours. Its connection has much to do with your Seal Cards, and as long as you keep them Chaos will search for them. If it finds them then it will gain even more power, and we will all be doomed. Chaos doesn't see the difference between evil and good…it only sees annihilation."

Daniel understood all too clearly what this meant. "A truce between good and evil?"

"Not quite a truce, but more like a ceasefire. We will not be working together in this, but I will hold off my specters and other tricks until Chaos can be dealt with appropriately."

Daniel nodded slightly. He could have disagreed and battled Midnight in a darkness game, but something about this Chaos story rang true to him. "Alright, you have a deal. Let us go and we'll deal with Chaos when it comes."

"But of course my dear mister Pilkington." Midnight snapped his fingers. "Sestros, come forth."

The shadows behind the throne parted and the Torture King stepped into the meager light of the room. "What do you want?"

"Are you done with your little vendetta?" Midnight sounded completely disinterested.

Sestros smiled coldly and nodded. "Yes. I have succeeded."

"As you can…" Midnight stopped whatever he was going to say as he looked down at Daniel.

The half wolf-demon's eyes shimmered fire-red.

Sestros stepped a little farther away from the throne and closer to Daniel. "That's right hanyou, I beat him and his little lizard friend." The Torture King snapped his fingers and above all of them a glowing image appeared on the ceiling.

-

_("Divine…oh no…") Ryu turned pale white._

_Rikuo slid the top card off of his disk and slapped it down. "Awaken…Fenrir-Destroyer of Gods!" (4000/4000) A glowing ball of black fire appeared on his field. A howl shook the entire room and the ball dissipated to reveal a building-sized black wolf. "And when Fenrir is summoned to the field, one Divine monster is destroyed and its stats are added to my god's power." Opening its jaws, Fenrir released a wave of black fire that covered Bahamut like a curtain. "Die." The King of Dragons roared in pain and faded away. (Instant Win)_

_Ryu stood there, eyes wide. "I…don't believe it…."_

"_Believe it," Rikuo slowly looked over at Sestros. "And don't think that I've forgotten about you either, old man. By the time I am done Fenrir will consume you both for desert."_

_Ryu looked at his field and his set cards. "I…end my turn."_

_Rikuo drew without even looking at the dragon demon. "Not much else you can do, is there? Now I'll make you pay for challenging me…Fenrir." The wolf god howled and lowered its muzzle to aim at Ryu. "Good-bye Jourgen. Black Inferno's Roar!"_

Sestros' voice interrupted both demons. "Mutt, you made a big mistake. That mistake was giving me room to breath in this battle." Fenrir released a wave of pitch-black fire that barreled towards Ryu. "I reveal my two set cards."

A wave of white light slammed into Fenrir and blew it apart. "My first card was the quickplay magic card Contagious Insanity. This card destroys your monster and deals half of its attack points in damage to you. I take its full attack in damage." The Torture King's hand swerved to point at his other face-up card. "Or I would if my Curse of Pain quickplay magic card didn't reflect the full power of your God's attack right at Jourgen."

Both demons widened their eyes slightly. ("This…is impossible.")

Ryu- 0

Rikuo- 0

Sestros- 8200

-

The image flickered and died. "As you can see, I won. And as per the rules of a darkness game their fate was mine to decide." Sestros held up his hand to reveal a pair of rings on his middle and index finger. One had a black jewel in it and the other had a gold jewel in it. "The souls of legendary demon generals are such hard finds. It's amazing I managed to get one, much less two." He threw back his head and roaring laughter echoed across the deathly silent room.

Midnight's face twisted into slight disgust, but otherwise he kept his emotions on the matter to himself.

Daniel's eyes and face were out of view, hidden by the shadows of the room.

Eri, Adriel, and Ahran, who had taken over for Ichigo, all had the appropriate looks of anger and disbelief on their faces. How could their fathers lose?

Sestros' laughter died down and he brought his gaze to look upon the last being who could possibly stop him. "Daniel Pilkington, what will you do now? I defeated your darkness. You know you cannot beat me."

Daniel's shoulders started to tremble.

Sestros waited for the challenge to a darkness game. ("When you do, I'll use my shadow magic card to leave you angered and easy to blindside.") "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" His lips curled into a sneer. "Or perhaps without Rik…" Whatever else he was going to say disappeared in a spray of blood as claws tore open his throat.

"Die Sestros," Daniel dropped the blood hunk of flesh in his hand to the ground and stomped on it. "Die and never come back."

The corpse at his feet suddenly launched up and struck his in the side of the head, sending him flying into the stone wall to leave a deep imprint of himself.

"I would," Sestros rubbed his throat where the flesh had already grown back, "But where's the fun in that?"

Daniel tore himself free from the wall and charged towards the Torture King again…

Sestros chuckled and lifted his palm. A wave of energy slammed into Daniel and sent him into the wall again. "Have a seat, little boy." He started to laugh until another pair of claws tore into his chest.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Eri and Ahran roared together as they, in one motion, performed something close to open heart surgery on the Torture King.

Sestros' eyes widened as Daniel was upon him just a second after, and then he squeezed said eyes shut as claws were torn across the sensitive flesh.

Adriel trembled for a few seconds, and then charged up the steps to attack. Though his demon blood wasn't as evident as everyone else's, he still was stronger than any human alive.

Sestros disappeared underneath the four different attackers, and blood began to splatter the walls.

Midnight pinched his nose closed to block out of the smell of blood. ("How disturbing…")

Daniel knew that Sestros would regenerate from this, but he had a plan. ("I'm going to cauterize the festering wound that you are, Sestros!") His right hand began to glow a pale blue light. The light shimmered brighter and brighter, and then it wreathed his claws. "DIE!" When the next blow from Daniel's right hand landed, the wound exploded into flames.

This continued on for a few seconds…and then all four of them were sent flying by one single roaring explosion of power. "THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Eri and Ahran both cracked their heads against the walls of the throne room and fell unconscious.

Daniel bounced against the carpet a couple of times and slammed into the wall. After a few seconds the wave passed through him and he fell to the floor on his knees. ("Damn….he's too strong.")

Adriel skidded along the ground and slammed into Krieger and Griff, sending all three of them hurtling into the wall at the far end of the room.

Sestros took in shuddering breaths of air, trying to clear the blood from his lungs while his body healed itself. "Insolent little worms….how dare you attack me…I'll kill all of you!" His hand opened to reveal a glowing ball of black fire. "Abyssal Sun!" He wound up and threw with the strength and skill of a professional pitcher.

Though the blast had been intended to kill Daniel, it found a different target. There was an echoing explosion and then an odd sucking noise as the energy of the Abyssal Sun disappeared right into the palm of Hitokage Seijitsu. "That's enough."

Sestros snarled and charged up another ball of energy. "Who are you to say anything to me, boy?"

"I am Hitokage Seijitsu," the blond-haired Japanese boy walked towards the Torture King without the slightest fear in his eyes.

Sestros roared and hurled the Abyssal Sun. It slammed right into Hitokage's chest.

And was promptly absorbed. "I am Hitokage Seijitsu, a Reaver."

Sestros' next Abyssal Sun was immediately snuffed out by the Torture King's own hand. "A Reaver?" He took a few cautious steps back. "Keep your distance, leech."

The blond-haired boy charged.

Sestros hissed in anger and leapt backwards, past Midnight and down to the other side of the room. His hand waved over some fallen stone debris and it lifted into the air. "DIE!" He pointed at the still charging boy and then stone debris launched.

Only to be knocked aside as Daniel leapt in and smashed the stone without a thought.

Hitokage didn't pay this any mind. His target was clear.

Sestros growled low in his throat and felt his back press against the wall. He had nowhere to run.

"It's over…" Hitokage leapt, his hand out-stretched to suck all of the energy from Sestros' body.

The Torture King felt the hand close around his throat and then coldness swept through him as his energy began to diminish. "Little bastard leech…"

"I will not tolerate this…" Hitokage's hand tightened…and then loosened. His jade eyes widened and looked down at the stone spike the size of a baseball bat sticking through his stomach.

"I don't care," Sestros grabbed the spike and used it to push the dangerous boy away. He rubbed his throat to clear away the cold that sucked his warmth down.

Hitokage trembled in pain and fell to his knees. With one cry of pain he pulled out the spike and then passed out as his blood painted the carpet.

Sestros slowly met eyes with the only standing person in the room. "Daniel Pilkington…prepare to die."

"Wrong," Daniel's lips curled slightly, "The only one who is about to die here is you."

"Oh?" Sestros brushed off his cloak and began to approach. "What makes you say that? I cannot be killed by you or these little children. No one is left to oppose me."

"Not quite…" Daniel held up his open hand. "There are still two nearby who have a bone to pick with you."

Sestros sucked in his breath. "Those…how did you…"

Daniel rolled the two rings he had removed from Sestros' fingers around in his palm. "You don't marry and live with a professional thief for over fifteen years and not learn a thing or two." His hand clenched around the two pieces of jewelry and a loud crunch noise echoed across the room. "Get ready, because I think three on one are pretty good odds."

"By the time the Mutt's soul even finds its body, it'll only locate a corpse!" The Torture King charged forward. "Die!"

Daniel took two steps back. "Actually, only one of us are going to die. That will be me. But not by your hands or by the hands of any enemy. Time will be my slayer. And it will be your end as well."

Sestros roared in rage and was just two steps from Daniel when he stopped. It wasn't of his choice, but he stopped.

"You just triggered my trap card. That was your last mistake." Daniel pointed at the Torture King's feet, where a single brown-backed card sat face-up on the ground. "Chains of Time freezes any monster who triggers it, locking them onto the field until the end of the game. Unfortunately for you, this effect will last as long as the darkness realm feeds its power. And last time I checked, that was an eternity."

Sestros stood frozen in place, unable to hear or see anything. He was trapped in a stasis that locked him into that moment in time forever.

_To be continued…_


	47. Thoughts on the matter

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Duelist Academy Arc

Chapter 47: Thoughts on the matter

Daniel sat in his office, looking at nothing in particular. It was dark in the room, just like his thoughts. ("It's been two weeks since we met Midnight, and still no response from Chaos. I wish it would just make its move already and save us some trouble.") Not that it mattered. Rikuo couldn't care less, though Ryu did decide to stay at the Academy for a while to make sure he was nearby if things did go crazy.

Daniel looked down at his replacement Chains of Time trap card. "I'm amazed that actually worked. Luckily for us our battle was in the darkness realm." If it hadn't have been, his little card trick would have failed miserably and Sestros would had most likely killed him. ("Now I hope that Midnight will keep his end of our deal and not released Sestros from my prison.")

"Pilkington, I'm going to rip out your spine!"

"Oh come on Eri, I didn't even know you had a tail! How could I have purposely grabbed it?"

"Silence!"

Daniel sighed and his mind flickered back to the end of that night, trying to ignore the small war going on right outside the faculty office. ("Hitokage was pretty beaten up…but apparently a 'Reaver' can absorb the abilities of its prey. And since he absorbed Sestros' immortality power, he survived.") That did have some….side-effects, but other than the blond-haired boy getting excessively moody and anti-social as of lately, it didn't seem to affect him badly.

But that didn't matter…because honestly Daniel didn't care. The only thing he cared about right now was finding out who or what Chaos was and destroying it. ("For evil to fear this thing enough to hold a ceasefire treaty with good. That's ridiculous.")

-

Just half a world away, a demonstration was going on right inside the headquarters of Kaiba Corp.

"And I welcome the members of the press to this momentous occasion. The new Kaiba Corporation Dueling Computer system is programmed to think just like a champion-level duelist. All of the applications that this new AI could be used with are incredible to even think about! Of course, first we'd like to hold a demonstration for all of you." Isona, one of Kaiba's private men, stepped back to reveal the demonstration area. It was a simple metal room with plain walls and floors. At one end was a steel machine with numerous computer wiring all over it. Next to it rested a small holographic table that was to be used for the test duel.

At the other end stood a human figure in a black cloak. "Can I take this stupid thing off now?"

"Of course you may!" Isona turned to look at the reporters who sat in the chairs of the room next to the test room. "A little test duel for you to use for the news. Stay or leave if you wish. And for our tester…"

The man removed the cloak to reveal a dark black leather trench-coat with metal spikes along the collar and wrists. His long black hair was tied into a pony-tail that hung against his back, and on his arm was a silver and black duel disk of the old-fashioned design used by Kaiba Corp. during the Battle City tournament 20 years ago. "My name is Deondre Anderson, one of the few people to ever defeat Seto Kaiba in a duel. I hope my skill will be sufficient for this test." His disk snapped into playing position.

"All systems active…." The Duel Computer's status screen flickered to life, already showing that it held five cards in its hand. "Duel start."

Deondre's golden eyes looked at the machine appraisingly and he slowly nodded. "Fine, let's duel then." He slid five cards off of his disk in one smooth motion. "I'll be going first, you pushy piece of scrap." He drew, already knowing what his strategy was going to be. "I set one monster card face-down on the field and two magic/trap cards face-down as well. End turn." The three cards appeared on the ground in front of him.

"Draw." The computer's screen showed that it had six hand cards now. "Summon Kaiser Seahorse (1700/1650) in attack mode and attack defense mode monster." A blue-armored monster appeared on the field and leapt forward with its golden spear, slamming the weapon right through the set card.

Deondre removed the card from his disk and slid it into his graveyard. "I didn't want D.D. Scout Plane (800/1200) on the field anyway. Anything else?"

"Set two cards face-down on the field and end turn." Two cards appeared behind the monster.

Deondre drew. "I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"Draw." The computer now had four cards in hand. "Sacrifice Kaiser Seahorse to summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500) in attack mode." The blue-armored creature disappeared off of the field and was replaced by a towering white-scaled dragon. "Attack defense monster. Burst Stream." The dragon roared and opened its jaws wide, charging up a glowing ball of light that tore across the field and blew the defense monster apart.

Deondre held up the card. "I choose not to activate D.D. Warrior Lady's (1500/1600) special ability." He slid the card into his graveyard. "Are you done?"

"End turn."

"Good, because I can't believe I'm fighting a copy of Kaiba's deck." Deondre's lips curled slightly into a smile. "Now I'm wiling to take this duel seriously." He drew, slid two cards into his disk, and then placed a card onto a monster zone. "I set two cards face-down and one monster in defense mode. End turn."

"Draw." The computer went silent as it calculated the chances those new cards were traps. "Set two cards face-down on the field and end turn."

Deondre drew. "That's what I thought. Your 'skill' has nothing to do with instinct or a duelist's true heart. All you are is a bunch of numbers stored into cheap metal. If you were smart, you would have called my bluff." His hand tapped two buttons on his disk and his cards that he set at the beginning of the game flipped up. "I play two continuous magic cards. The first is D.D. Beacon and the second is Dimensional Flare." A glowing green device and a burning green futuristic torch appeared on the field next to each other. "Then I flip up my face-down card Dimensional Explosion. This card requires I sacrifice a Dimensional monster on my field to activate it." He held up his face-down monster card. "Dimensional Warrior (1200/800) blows up with my Explosion card and wipes out your life points with this little combo that I have in waiting."

Everyone in the press room went silent at that declaration.

Deondre's remaining face-down card flipped up. "Curse of Pain is first. This will take the damage that Dimensional Explosion would cause to me and deal it to you instead. Ring of Destruction is just like Dimensional Explosion. So you take 2400 life points so far."

Deondre- 4000

Computer- 1600

Deondre flipped the two cards in his hand over. "Then I summon Dimensional Cannon (0/2000) in defense mode." A crystalline blue-colored machine appeared on his field. "The other card I play is Dimension Hole, which will remove my monster from the game." He smirked as a black portal appeared next to his cannon. It tried to suck up the machine but was unable to. "Whoops, my monster can't be removed from play."

His Beacon and Torch faded away. "But since I just played four D.D. cards, my two continuous magic cards have four counters on them. So by sacrificing those cards their counters are added onto my Cannon." The machine shuddered and spat out a ball of blue fire that slammed into the computer, blowing it apart. "Each counter lets my Cannon deal you 400 direct life points of damage. I win." He casually turned and walked out of the door that was just a few feet away from him, ignoring the booming explosions that came from the now wrecked computer. "And one more thing Isona…tell Kaiba that if he wants to have a good duelist protégée, he should train his brother Mokuba instead of trying to make machines to do the work for him."

-

At the back of the press room, three black-coated figures stood side by side against the wall, blending perfectly with the darkness.

"Well, he's rather cheeky, isn't he?" The first speaker had a clipped British accent, his face hidden by the shadows.

"Yeah, but his skill is worth the master's notice." The second member of the group had a spiky crop of hair sticking out all over his head. "And if that is what he wants, then he will get it."

"The little dog's a lightweight," the third member of the group growled quietly. His two eyes, one gold and the other silver, shimmered in the darkness. "There's only two duelists in the world that are worthy of me. Anyone else is just practice for that inevitable match."

_End of Arc._


End file.
